Jamie Oliver pulls 'offensive' children's book from sale after sparking outrage among First Nation Australians

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Celebrity TV chef Jamie Oliver has pulled his first children’s book from shelves across the world after it was criticised for causing offence to First nation Australians.

Oliver, 49, released ‘Billy And The Epic Escape’ earlier this year, however a sub-plot included in the book has been branded offensive by First Nation Australians. The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (Natsiec) called the storyline, which features a young First Nations girl living in foster care, “erasure, trivialisation, and stereotyping of First Nations peoples and experiences”.

Natsiec chief executive Sharon Davis told The Guardian that the chapter in question, titled ‘To Steal A Child’, portrays First Nation families that “are easily swayed by money and neglect the safety of their children”. She added: “[It] perpetuates a racist stereotype that has been used to justify child removals for over a century. This portrayal is not only offensive but also reinforces damaging biases.”

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Jamie Oliver and his book publisher has pulled his first children's book, Billy And The Epic Escape, from shelves after it was criticised for causing offense to First Nation Australians.Jamie Oliver and his book publisher has pulled his first children's book, Billy And The Epic Escape, from shelves after it was criticised for causing offense to First Nation Australians.
Jamie Oliver and his book publisher has pulled his first children's book, Billy And The Epic Escape, from shelves after it was criticised for causing offense to First Nation Australians. | Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI

In a statement confirming that the children’s novel has now been removed from sale, Oliver said: “I am devastated to have caused offence and apologise wholeheartedly. It was never my intention to misinterpret this deeply painful issue. Together with my publishers we have decided to withdraw the book from sale.”

A spokesman for publisher Penguin Random House said: “Our mission at Penguin Random House UK is to make books for everyone and with that commitment comes a deep sense of responsibility.

“It is clear that our publishing standards fell short on this occasion, and we must learn from that and take decisive action. With that in mind, we have agreed with our author, Jamie Oliver, that we will be withdrawing the book from sale.”

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