Delia Smith, 80, says she retired in 2013 because she ‘couldn’t see any point’ in spending her life ‘trying to think of more recipes’ and feels ‘a bit too old’ for TV
- Chef announced she would retire from making television programmes in 2013
- Started her cooking career at 21 and first television appearances came in 1970s
- Delia, 80, felt that after 50 years in the industry her recipes were ‘all there’
- While she won’t rule out appearing on TV again she feels ‘too old to do television’
Delia Smith said she had ‘nothing left to give’ before retiring and ‘couldn’t see any point’ in spending the rest of her life trying to drum up new recipes.
The legendary British chef began her career working at a small London restaurant at the age of 21 and her first television appearance came in the early 1970s on BBC East’s Look East.
The 80-year-old chef announced her retirement from television in 2013 and says that while she won’t rule out another appearance, she feels ‘a bit too old’ to make more TV.
In an interview with Platinum magazine, Delia said that although she wasn’t bored of her career, she felt that after 50 years in the industry all of her recipe ideas had been spent.
Delia Smith, 80, has enjoyed a television career spanning four decades before retiring from television for good in 2013. The chef is pictured in 1971
The 80-year-old chef announced her retirement from television in 2013 and says that while she won’t rule out another appearance, she feels ‘a bit too old’ to make more TV
‘It wasn’t that I was bored with it, but I did have a sense that there was nothing more to give,’ she said. ‘Quite honestly, when you’ve produced recipes for that many years, it’s all there.
‘Recipes are ten a penny and I couldn’t see any point in spending my life trying to think of more.’
The chef, who rose to fame thanks to her simple no-nonsense recipes, says that while she admires the likes of Mary Berry, 87, she feels she has ‘enough on her plate’ and won’t be on TV anytime soon.
Delia released her first cookbook How to Cheat at Cooking in 1971 and became a household name with her TV cookery shows.
The legendary British chef began her career working at a small London restaurant at the age of 21 and her first television appearance came in the early 1970s on BBC East’s Look East. She is pictured in 1982
She has since sold over 21 million copies of her recipe books and has seen her name become synonymous with home cooking – with ‘Delia’ entering the Collins English Dictionary in 2001.
The devout catholic and Norwich City shareholder was once deemed so influential on the nation’s tastebuds that the term ‘the Delia effect’ entered the Collins English Dictionary in 2001 after sales of cranberries quadrupled the day after she used them on television.
The chef’s comments come in the latest edition of Platinum Magazine which is available now
She was honoured by the Queen in 2017, receiving the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to cookery.
Upon being bestowed the honour at Buckingham Palace, she used the opportunity to bemoan modern cooking – declaring it ‘very poncey, very cheffy’.
She said: ‘Cooking has become very poncey, very cheffy – if I get one more plate put in front of me with six dots of sauce on it, I will go mad. I can’t do it, I just can’t do it.
‘The joy, years ago, of going to a really special restaurant and having a really special meal, has gone. It is very hard to find one that isn’t trying to be theatre on a plate… I don’t like it at all.’
But despite her success, Delia still believes there are more successful chefs than herself, telling the publication she thinks Jamie Oliver and Nigella have surpassed her in terms of fame.
When asked what’s next in the pipeline, the chef ruled out writing a novel or an autobiography but would consider penning another non-fiction book after her recent science book, titled You Matter.
Platinum Magazine’s full May 2022 issue is available now