Jamie’s Cook-Ahead Christmas; The 1% Club Rollover

“Jamie Oliver – absent air fryers – is always good at content. It’s the form that some struggle with. The famous Jamie shtick, the high-octane bish-bash-boshing, “mega” most things, “epic” everything else, “cor!”, “amazing!”, “Lovely jubbly!”, great sighs and groans of inexpressible happiness at all points in between. I have, historically, been unable to cope with this. I am not made for joy and I find it impossible to believe in. But this time out, he seems calmer. There is still a scattering of “epics” and “happy days”, plus a “golden blipping perfection” but it’s all much less frenetic than it used to be. Perhaps Jamie is more confident. Perhaps, after a quarter of a century in the TV chef business he has become secure in the knowledge that his experience and expertise will carry him through, that viewers will stay with him even if he is not bouncing off the walls. Maybe he has intuited that we are living in less exuberant times than when we first met him in 1999 and has adjusted his style accordingly. Or maybe he’s just turned 50 and doesn’t have the energy any more.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“Oliver takes all the pretentiousness, all the preciousness out of cooking. His strength is being down-to-earth. In this he is, I submit, the anti-Meghan. If you have seen her execrable Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, you will know that she is the exact opposite, offering very long lessons in overcomplicating food with the maximum of twee fussiness. It’s all about “showing love”, apparently, but you get the impression she would have a full-blown meltdown if one of her mini gougères failed to rise. Oliver, meanwhile, just urges you to bang it in the bottom of the oven to achieve a “nice crispy bum” and yet things always come out looking spectacular.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Part of the genius of this format is that the players are also the audience. It’s also hugely enjoyable to play a quiz that doesn’t rely on general knowledge — with questions testing lateral thinking and logical reasoning instead. What really makes this show work, though, is its presenter, comedian Lee Mack. When he’s asking the questions, he plays the part of a conventional host with his shiny suit and autocue patter. But he switches effortlessly to ad libs and spontaneous banter between rounds as he chats to the players. That’s a rare talent, and with the exception of Bradley Walsh, there’s no one else currently on TV who can do it.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail