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Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has admitted that he was steeped in debt after launching his first restaurant, before a welcome royalty cheque from his publishers saved him.

Jamie launched the first of his Fifteen chain of restaurants in 2002, taking a significant financial blow to drive the venture forward.

The television chef shared his financial concerns with Davina McCall on her Begin Again podcast, opening up about the challenges of establishing his first venue.

He stated: "I spent all of it (his money) on building Fifteen. Not only all of it, but I think for three weeks I was a couple of hundred grand in debt because the builders were fighting with the designers and it was kind of going over and I didn't understand business." View 3 Images

By the time Jamie, 50,

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