Jamie’s £1 Wonders gets a full series commission following smash ratings

26 January 2023

Following the huge success of the one-off episode, Jamie’s £1 Wonders, C4 has commissioned 6 x 60 minutes of the series, to air early Spring. Jamie’s £1 Wonders was Jamie’s best primetime share show since 2011; it averaged a consolidated 1.8m and a 10.5% of individuals, up +81% on the slot average. 

In Jamie’s £1 Wonders, Jamie will share recipe ideas that can all be made for less than £1 a portion, alongside practical tips that viewers can adapt to suit whatever ingredients are available or whatever their circumstances. 

In the new 6 part series, Jamie will share delicious family-friendly dishes that keep the cost of ingredients down, from a hearty chicken pie, a fiery veggie enchiladas and even his take on a roast dinner. Jamie will invite guest cooks to share their expertise and offer great-value recipes and tips from their own repertoire. 

This series will also be a platform for other great talent, as each episode features a recipe from another chef, cooked in their home and from cuisines ranging from Sri Lanka, Cyprus, Italy and India; as well as vegan and super low-budget recipes that react to the rising costs of meat and dairy.

Jamie has also considered the cooking methods used to explore the most energy-efficient ways to make each meal. He’ll use the microwave to make a delicious chilli con carne from scratch; cook a pizza in a pan without the need to turn on the oven; use the oven once to make multiple meals; and offer a huge range of meals that use everyday ingredients in really innovative ways to keep costs down and flavour up.

Tim Hancock said, “After the success of the one-off, we received messages from viewers grateful for Jamie’s £1 recipes. Over the years, Jamie has helped the nation navigate the challenges we’ve faced - from cooking in lockdown to making school meals healthier – so we are thrilled he is back to provide more help and inspiration when there is such a squeeze on household budgets.”

Zoȅ Collins, Managing Director, Jamie Oliver Media Group, said, “There is nothing that makes us more happy than knowing that we’re being useful and the response to the one-off gave us a real sense of purpose. We are so pleased that C4 agreed with us that a series of inspiring, lower cost recipes could be both entertaining and helpful.  This series is Jamie and his brilliant team, doing what they do best.”

Jamie’s £1 Wonders is a series of 6 x 60’ episodes. It was commissioned for Channel 4 by Tim Hancock, Commissioning Editor, Factual Entertainment. The series will be made by Jamie Oliver Productions, with Samantha Beddoes as Executive Producer, Katie Millard as Series Producer and Jamie Hammick as Series Director.