Jamie Oliver has revealed that he and his wife Jools have decided to renew their wedding vows to show their children that they are stronger than ever.

Speaking for the first time about the surprise nuptials, the chef, 47, explained that he and Jools originally planned to renew their vows on their 20th anniversary, before Covid put an end to their plans.

He added that with their children leaving school and heading off to college, he wanted to assure them that their relationship was “always close”.

‘I wanted to do this for the 20th anniversary, Covid put an end to that so I thought with the kids leaving school and going to university I have two in Leeds at the university I thought it was a good time to let them know their parents are close, we love them,’ Jamie on Thursday’s BBC Breakfast show.

“I know it might look like some people are into it and some aren’t, but I have to say second time wishes are much better.”

“You feel like you’ve earned what you want to say. Everything they are about you felt, good, bad and ugly. For me, with a big family, it was a good things to do.

Jamie also revealed that her vow renewal costume was a modernized version of her original wedding outfit, but this time without her eye-catching crocodile loafers.

He and Jools, who have been together since they were 18, share five children together, including Poppy Honey, 20, Daisy Boo, 19, Petal Blossom, 13, Buddy Bear, 11 and River Rocket, five. .

The star took to Instagram on Monday to share a collection of snaps from their surprise vow renewal.

The celebrity chef shared an intimate carousel of family photos on Instagram, after saying “I do” for the second time at Soneva Fushi Resort.

Jools, 48, looked elegant in an off-the-shoulder wedding dress, featuring a ruffled design and a thigh-high slit.

Unlike her husband Jamie, her bridal look was a different design from her original dress, which was an elegant ivory silk slip number.

Her brunette locks were styled straight with a white bow holding her hair in place, while she accessorized with pearl earrings.

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Alongside the photos, Jamie wrote, “Hello everyone, me and @joolsolver are married again!” Yes, after 23 years together, we thought it would be a special time to celebrate the renewal of our wedding vows before the kids all started to leave the nest.

“It was really special, funny and romantic with the words of the ceremony having more meaning after walking this path together.

“It feels like a snap since the first wedding we kept very private away from the paparazzi at the village church, we thought it would be a happy and joyful time to share this whole Easter with you .

‘We have always dreamed of going to the Maldives and it was as you would have dreamed, just amazing! a huge thank you to the whole team at @discoversoneva for blowing our minds and making this moment so special and memorable the great lovers Jamie x’

Later, Jamie shared more snaps from the ceremony on his Instagram Stories, including a selfie with his wife and daughters which he captioned, “My Queens.”

He also posted a photo with his two sons, Buddy and River, where he revealed his eldest son acted as the best man.

Jools also shared her own selection of snaps on her social media, writing:

‘So wonderful the first time we did it again. What an amazing memory to cherish so happy, emotional, romantic and beautiful. Seeing the little faces of the children made the experience so special. I could only dream of being on vacation this magical thank you very much Discover Soneva.

‘Your care, attention to detail and incredible kindness made everything so special, it almost feels like a dream xxx

Jools and Jamie started dating when they were teenagers and married in the chief’s home village of Rickling, Essex, on June 24, 2000.

Speaking in 2019 about renewing their vows, Jools said: ‘Next year we’ll be married 20 years and we’re going to get married again, but do things differently – outdoors and barefoot.

Chef Jamie, from Essex, is said to have a net worth of over £240million.