Jamie Oliver says renewing vows with wife Jools in Maldives was 'special, funny and romantic'

Celebrity chef and restauranteur Jamie Oliver has said renewing his vows with wife Jools after 23 years of marriage was "special, funny and romantic".

The pair posted pictures from the ceremony on Instagram after a ceremony on an island in the Maldives.

Mr Oliver, 47, told BBC Breakfast that he and former model Jools, 48, wanted to show their five children that "their parents are tight and we love them".

The couple married in a church ceremony in Essex in July 2000.

He said repeating the vows 23 years on was "much better" because they felt they had "earned" them.

He said: "I wanted to do it on the 20-year anniversary, which was three years ago. Covid obviously put an end to that, and I just felt that with the kids leaving school and going to university - I have got two in Leeds at uni - it was just a nice moment to let them know that their parents are tight and we love them.

"I have to say the vows second time round are much better because it is like you have earned what they mean. Everything they say you have done, felt - good, bad, ugly. And there you are 23 years later going, 'Oh my God, we did it'. Now part two.

"So for me with the big family, it felt like a nice thing to do and I just put a few pictures on Instagram. But you know what it is like. Bang! It has gone everywhere."

Mr Olivier wore a pale blue Paul Smith suit in a nod to the one he wore on his wedding day, although it had been "adjusted by a few inches", he admitted.

He also joked that he had ditched the snakeskin loafers he had worn for the big day, instead going barefoot on the beach.

On Sunday he shared a series of photos showing him, his wife and their five children - Poppy, Daisy, Petal, Buddy and River - dressed in white and pale blue outfits on a sandy beach in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

He described the ceremony as "special, funny and romantic".

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know