The relationship between Jamie Oliver and the BBC looks to be over tonight as the corporation announced it has "withdrawn" from contract talks with the chef for a new series. His previous contract expired in December, and he made it clear he did not want to present another series of The Naked Chef.
A statement issued from the BBC tonight said: "The BBC has today withdrawn from negotiations for a new series with Jamie Oliver, after being unable to agree terms. Having discovered Jamie and developed his career, we wish him the very best with his future ventures."
The star of The Naked Chef was developing a series with the BBC entitled Oliver's Army, that would have seen him training unemployed young people in a London restaurant.
It is thought that the corporation may have become uneasy with Oliver's involvement with advertising; the corporation's producer guidelines "disapprove" of stars becoming too heavily involved with commerical ventures. The BBC made no comment, although a spokeswoman said "we'd always be happy to work with Jamie" if the right deal could be struck.
