Andi Oliver reveals why she's feeling fabulous in her 60s
Bringing a burst of energy and joy wherever she goes, it’s no wonder Andi Oliver has become a mainstay on our TV screens. Now known for her role as host of BBC Two’s Great British Menu, Andi started her career fronting the brand Rip Rig + Panic, but her greatest passion was always food.
In an exclusive interview in Good Housekeeping's March Issue, Andi opened up about transitioning from music to food and her secret to thriving in a white, male-dominated industry.
'I just don't care what people think of me, and I guess that's my superpower,’ she says.
‘I will not be bullied. I will not be led by other people's ideas about my limitations. I don't like people telling me what to do. I’m not very good with authority, which was a problem when I was at school.'
The chef and restaurateur also shared her positive outlook on turning 60 and why she thinks we should see ageing as a privilege.
'I’m totally into it. For a start, it’s a privilege: it’s age or die. I’m stunned when people moan about getting older,’ she says.
‘The older I get, the more I know, the more I love, the more I care about, the more curious I am, the more exciting life becomes. It’s fine getting old, thank you – and that’s the bit they don’t tell you.'
Andi hosts a podcast, Stirring It Up, with her daughter Miquita Oliver, and she opened up about her experience of becoming a mum when she was just 20.
'I just got on with it! I didn’t have a nine-to-five job, ever, so she came with me and when we did a gig, someone would stand at the side of the stage holding her,’ she says.
'I just wanted Miquita to do things that made her happy – and I’ve said that to her all her life. She was on TV by the time she was 15, and that was really hard for her. Her best friend was – is – Lily Allen. The pair of them were these ridiculously famous teenagers, trying to manage all the baggage that came with that.
Along with Alison, Lily’s mum, there wasn’t much we could do. I wasn’t going to lock Miquita up in the house, but she did go a bit off the rails in the middle. It all got a bit out of control, and the same thing happened to Lily. But the crashes they both experienced have been the making of them. Miquita has become this extraordinary young woman.'
With a new series of Great British Menu on the horizon, Andi gave us a taste of what’s in store – and we already can’t wait to tune in.
‘It’s going to be spectacular. We’re at a very interesting time in the restaurant industry, because it used to be that chefs felt they had to leave where they grew up and come to London to find success; that there was only one route to culinary excellence,’ she says.
‘People don’t feel they have to do that any more. I’m really excited to be part of the change happening before my eyes.’
Andi will return to our screens soon to host the 19th series of Great British Menu on BBC Two. Her podcast, Stirring It Up With Andi & Miquita Oliver, is available from all major podcast providers.
Read the full interview with Andi Oliver in the March 2024 issue of Good Housekeeping, on sale now. It is available in all supermarkets and online at MagsDirect.
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