Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has called for TV junk food adverts to be banned during Britain’s Got Talent.
The television cook wants commercials for fatty and sugary products taken off air during the search-for-a-star show in a bid to beat the nation’s childhood obesity crisis.
He demanded a complete block on all advertising for unhealthy foods before 9pm.
“We shouldn’t be advertising junk food high in salt, fat and sugar before 9 o’clock, end of story,” fumed the healthy eating campaigner.
“We need to go where the kids are really congregated which are at the big shows, pre-9 o’clock - Britain’s Got Talent - and where they can get a lot of these messages.
“Also, online is an absolute minefield that we just haven’t got our head around.
“I think there’s loads we can do very, very simply. We need it addressed.”
Giving evidence to MPs on Westminster’s Health Select Committee, he said junk food firms had already stopped broadcasting ads during kids TV programmes.
But the multi-millionaire businessman and best-selling author called on them to go further by avoiding promoting their products during family shows too.
Jamie, 40, also insisted ministers had not written off a “sugar tax” as a way of tackling the obesity crisis gripping Britain’s youngsters.
He said David Cameron was reviewing all the evidence - and urged the PM to be “brave”.
The Naked Chef star demanded “honesty and clarity” from food companies, but feared they were reluctant to agree.
“I don’t believe the industry - particularly the food and drink industry - I don’t think that utter clarity is their main objective because when you inform the British public with good, clear information they make good choices,” he warned.
“They are not making good choices at the moment largely. I think it’s a major problem.”
The internet was “open territory” for junk food giants because it was “not policed”, Jamie said.
And top of his “shopping list” of demands for reform was the crackdown on TV adverts.
“You can watch Britain’s Got Talent and there will be up to 13 advertisement for unhealthy food within that time. Under the circumstances, it’s inappropriate,” he rapped.
Jamie handed MPs drinks where he had altered the labels to make sugar levels clearer .
He said he had worked out how many teaspoons of sugar were in each drink, including 14 teaspoons in a bottle of Pepsi and 13 in a bottle of Ribena.
“The reason industry do not want you to have that is that the impact is visceral,” he said.
The chef suggested a three-year sugar tax should be introduced to cut down on youngsters guzzling pop.
“We should implement a three-year sugary drink tax of 20% per litre, which is seven pence on a regular can of soda,” he said.
“I’m fully confident that the narrative of benefit to British children would be clear as a bell. But I also realise that if it wasn’t, it would be removed.”
He said obesity was putting a huge strain on the NHS, adding: “Being gentle, being polite is not a way to have a progressive obesity strategy.”
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