Jamie Oliver’s Air Fryer Meals: Chef fails to impress in new Channel 4 series – as viewers label show ‘desperate’ and ‘nowhere near reality’
Jamie Oliver has failed to impress viewers with his new Channel 4 series about cooking with air fryers.
The first episode of the show, Jamie’s Air Fryer meals, was broadcast across the UK on Monday night, but unlike the smart kitchen appliance the 48-year-old represents, it has left viewers less than dazzled.
The TV chef, who admitted he was initially ‘sceptical’ about deep fryers, kicked off the two-part series by sharing a prosciutto fish recipe, a curry-roasted chicken for dinner and a peach-baked Alaska.
But his attempt to show that deep fryers are about ‘so much more than nuggets and chips’ failed to impress critics, with Guardian branding the show ‘bewilderingly creepy’ and ‘ear-stealing’.
Meanwhile, viewers on X, formerly Twitter, reported a similar view, with one noting: ‘Jamie Oliver’s airfryer show is nowhere near reality.’
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 boom in popularity in recent years.
The episode saw Oliver use a deep fryer to make prosciutto baked fish, cheddar cheese and chive scones, Keralan-style fried chicken, pork and pineapple 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 efforts to create tasty, simple airfryer recipes, there has been backlash from critics and viewers.
Discussing the show, Lucy Mangan of The Guardian wrote: ‘Jamie Oliver jumps on the culinary bandwagon in this bafflingly creepy two-man. Isn’t he even tired of his own sissy now?’
“There are only two episodes into Jamie’s latest venture, and things start to feel stretched long before the end of the first.
Meanwhile, Benji Wilson on Telegraph questioned whether the show’s product placement at 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 it is a problem or not.’
The TV chef prepared several recipes using a Tefal fryer, including prosciutto-baked fish and a Keralan-style roast chicken
The 48-year-old chef tried to impress viewers with a prosciutto-baked fish (pictured) recipe
Elsewhere, similar concerns spread on social media after the first episode aired on Monday night.
One mocked the concept of the show, writing: ‘Jamie Oliver’s air fryer is nowhere near reality.’
“It’s basically a 30 minute commercial for Tefal… The guy would sell his soul for a few quid”, said another.
A third asked: ‘Jamie Oliver does Air Fryer Meals on ch4… is he that desperate for money?’
Meanwhile, a fourth added: ‘You see Jamie Oliver doesn’t have to clean his own fryer… grate cheese right 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 about two or three different fryers depending on what they’re trying to cook. Like we all have two or three of them?’
A sixth added: ‘#Jamiesairfryermeals this program isn’t good if you’re on a budget, firstly you have to spend around £50 on ingredients and that’s not including the meat.
Jamie has been sponsored by air fryer maker Tefal for the new two-part show on Channel 4
Viewers flocked to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts 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 air fryers – Oliver said: ‘It’s super rare for a piece of kitchen kit to revolutionize how people choose to cook in the way that the air fryer have done.
‘At first I was skeptical, but as soon as I started testing and playing with ideas, settings and new ways to create flavor and texture, I was completely hooked.
‘In my mind, anything that gets people cooking is a win. And the fact that the air fryer uses less energy, saves time and creates a lot less washing up – all while turning out delicious, nutritious food – can only be a good thing.
‘It’s a fantastic solution for the modern family, where days are often hectic and proper meals are needed, quickly.’
Oliver also mentioned the popularity of air fryer recipes he has been putting on his website since last year, saying they had been ‘a huge hit’ with more than 500,000 views.
Katie Millard from Jamie Oliver Productions said: ‘Working with our long-term partner, Tefal, Jamie was able to respond to strong public demand for more air fryer recipes and loved every second of developing the new recipes.
‘As this series will show, there is so much more to an air fryer than nuggets and chips.’