Jamie Oliver failed to impress viewers with his new Channel 4 series about cooking with deep fryers.
The show’s first episode, Jamie’s Air Fryer Meals, aired across the UK on Monday night, but unlike the 48-year-old’s ingenious kitchen gadget, it left viewers less than dazzled.
The TV chef, who admitted he was initially “skeptical” about deep fryers, kicked off the two-part series by sharing a fish prosciutto recipe, a curried roast chicken dinner and a peach baked Alaska.
But his attempt to prove that deep fryers are “so much more than nuggets and chips” failed to impress critics, with the guardian calling the program “disconcertingly embarrassing” and “deafening.”
Meanwhile, viewers of
Jamie Oliver failed to impress viewers with the first episode of his new Channel 4 series, Jamie Oliver’s Air Fryer Meals.
Oliver created the Channel 4 show in partnership with Tefal following the device’s surge in popularity in recent years.
In the episode, Oliver used a deep fryer to create Baked Fish with Prosciutto, Cheddar and Chive Scones, Keralan Roasted Chicken, Pineapple Pork Noodles, and a Peach Baked Alaska.
TikTok influencer and Michelin-trained chef Poppy O’Toole also appeared on the new show alongside Jamie.
Despite the TV chef’s best attempt at creating simple, tasty air fryer recipes, there has been a backlash from critics and viewers.
Speaking of the show, The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan wrote: “Jamie Oliver jumps on the culinary bandwagon in this baffling and embarrassing two-parter. Hasn’t even he tired of his own tricks yet?”
‘There are only two episodes into Jamie’s latest adventure and things start to look tense long before the end of the first.
Meanwhile, Benji Wilson in the Telegraph questioned whether the program’s product placement with Tefal was problematic.
He wrote: “Basically, Jamie’s Air Fryer Meals with Tefal is itself an advertisement. It could be called Tefal’s Air Fryer Meals with Jamie. The question is whether this is a problem or not.”
The TV chef prepared several recipes using a Tefal deep fryer, including baked fish with ham and Keralan-style roast chicken.
The 48-year-old chef tried to impress viewers with a recipe for baked fish with prosciutto (pictured).
Elsewhere, similar concerns spread across social media after the first episode aired on Monday night.
One mocked the show’s concept, writing: “The Jamie Oliver fryer show is nowhere close to reality.”
“It’s basically a 30 minute Tefal advert… The guy would sell his soul for a few quid,” said another.
A third asked: ‘Jamie Oliver is doing Air Fryer Meals on Channel 4… is he that desperate for cash?’
Meanwhile, a fourth added: ‘You can tell Jamie Oliver doesn’t have to clean his own fryer… grate cheese directly into the drawer? Monster!’
Another said: ‘Jamie, like all the other TV chefs, seems to think we don’t notice that they seem to have two or three different fryers, depending on what they are trying to cook. Like we all have two or three of them?
A sixth added: ‘#Jamiesairfryermeals this program is not good if you are on a budget, you have to spend about £50 on ingredients first and that doesn’t include the meat.
Jamie has been sponsored by Tefal, which makes fryers, for Channel 4’s new two-part show.
Viewers flocked to X, formerly Twitter, to share their opinions on the cooking show, and many were unimpressed.
In a statement announcing the new Channel 4 show, which will be sponsored by Tefal, which makes deep fryers, Oliver said: “It is very rare for a kitchen kit to revolutionize the way people choose to cook in the way the air fryer has. made.
‘I was skeptical at first, but as soon as I started trying and playing with ideas, configurations and new ways to create flavor and texture, I was totally hooked.
‘In my opinion, anything that gets people cooking is a win. And the fact that the air fryer uses less energy, saves time and requires much less washing up, while still producing delicious, nutritious food, can only be a good thing.
“It’s a great solution for the modern family, where days are often hectic and decent, quick meals are needed.”
Oliver also cited the popularity of the air fryer recipes he has been posting on his website since last year, saying they had been “a huge hit” with more than 500,000 views.
Katie Millard of Jamie Oliver Productions said: “By working with our long-term partner Tefal, Jamie was able to respond to huge public demand for more air fryer recipes and loved every second of developing new recipes.”
“As this series will show, an air fryer is so much more than nuggets and chips.”