BBC Radio Sheffield Jamie Day: Part One
Hurrah- Today is Jamie Oliver day on BBC Radio Sheffield.
The local broadcaster is clearing the decks to give the titty lipped kedgeree king enough space to park his ego.
He has an hour of informercial time tonight at 6- but his first port of call was the Toby Foster- Bigger at Breakfast show. Despite being trailed as appearing from 8:30 onwards- our favourite kitchen weasel only managed to put in a ten minute shift. He excused his tardiness with those stock ‘couldn’t be arsed’ metaphors- ‘sat nav’ and ‘traffic on the Parkway’.
Once on air- the clichés kept flowing. He loves coming up to Rotherham- “because of the people”. Oliver emphasised his commitment by telling the listeners it was “worth the three hours of Hell” on the motorway to get here. All of us little people at home were deeply moved that this icon of our age drags himself away, from the glitz of Down South, and puts himself through such an ordeal to help us.
It’s not all one way though. Jamie loves getting out and about because:
“In London- you get caught up in rubbish.”
Yeah- but your rubbish gets commissioned mate. Of course, this is not just a TV show- it’s “a movement.” I’ll leave you to make up your own gags for that one.
Jamie did admit that the issue of people not cooking at home anymore was not Rotherham specific. So why was he here? He says he kept thinking of the Rawmarsh lasses handing chips to their kids and: “It haunted me.” Whichever PR consultant wrote that line for him needs to either get a new career or get out more.
It came up briefly that he’s doing an ad for Sainsburys, pointing out that a family can eat well for a fiver. This campaign can’t possibly be linked to the show he’s embarking on. Can it?
Some good came of Jamie Oliver’s spot. As he rolled up twenty minutes late- some filling was required. A concerned grandparent, Anne, phoned up to complain about the station’s reporting of the government’s ludicrous plan to shut down a list of failing schools if they don’t perform better. Anne spoke from the heart in defence of the much maligned Myers Grove school. She told the listeners why exam results aren’t every thing and how much the staff had gone out of their way to help her grand daughter. She was eloquent and gave an impassioned local slant on a national issue.
Unfortunately, Oliver turned up, so we couldn’t hear more of Anne. I mean, it’s OK to have bit of these lovely, warm Northerners; but when masser’s come all the way from the big house- we’ve got to listen to him. Supermarkets don’t plug themselves you know.
Don’t forget to tune in later- a full hour of Jamie informercial on the BBC.
Jamie Go Home 
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