Jamie Oliver Has 'Tried Everything' to Have a Son

Mike Marsland/WireImage

It’s been no secret that Jamie Oliver hopes to have a son someday and with his wife Juliette ‘Jools’ Oliver pregnant with the couple’s third child, odds are good that his dream is about to become reality. Just in case it doesn’t, however, Jamie tells David Letterman — himself dad to 5-year-old Harry Joseph with partner Regina Lasko — that he’s open to any and all suggestions. "I would like a little boy this time," the 33-year-old celebrity chef admitted. "You’ve got a little boy…any techniques you need to let me know for maybe the fourth one, if I don’t get it this time?" Says Jamie, 

"I tell you what, I’ve tried everything. I’ve tried…naked, outside when it was very cold and had a little run up. But next time I’m on the show I’ll be able to tell you if it’s a boy or not and then maybe we can turn that into a new tactic."

Joking that he "doesn’t remember" conceiving baby-on-the-way, Jamie adds "I’m sure I was very good." As for Jools, her cravings are in full swing — with Jamie describing his wife as "an eating machine." Her foods of choice are all "retro" and reminiscent of her childhood, according to Jamie, including things like fish paste and bananas in Vegemite. Still, cravings are not Jools’ oddest pregnancy symptom. According to Jamie, "she goes to the hardware store, and gets rubber water bottles, and just chews on it."

Jamie and Jools are already parents to daughters Daisy Boo, 5 ½, and Poppy Honey, 6 ½.

Source: Late Show with David Letterman   

Click ‘More’ to watch video of the interview!

Comments

SARA on November 12th, 2008

I think they should be happy with an healthy baby,this is the important thing.I understand that he would love to have a son,but he said that from the beginning!I’m a bit fed up on hearing the same things all the time!And if the new baby is going to be a girl?

Jenna Gennaro on November 12th, 2008

I agree with SARA.

Also, am I missing something? Why do all these celebrities think the odds are in their favor that their next child will be the sex of their choice (mostly a boy)? Isn’t it possible that the man is just going to produce a girl no matter what they try to do unless they have a doctor intervene?

I mean look at Peter Facinelli – he has 3 girls.

Noelle on November 12th, 2008

If the baby is a girl then i’m sure he will be just as happy. As long as he doesn’t throw out the baby if it’s a girl there is nothing wrong with having a preference.

phoebe on November 12th, 2008

I’ve never been totally comfortable with the whole idea of having a preference, but when you think about it, you feel what you feel and you can’t help that. As long as Jamie and Jools love their baby, no matter what bits he or she has, that’s ALL that counts.

Nika on November 12th, 2008

Here we go again, haha.
I think it is totally fine to have a personal preference but I wouldn’t go telling everyone, especially if you’re a ‘celebrity’ like Jamie. Because his child will, in the future, hear about all these comments and even though they shall be happy if it’s a girl too, that must hurt for a child to read/hear.

MB on November 12th, 2008

He seems like a jokester so I wouldn’t take what he says so seriously. And haven’t they mentioned adopting a boy if this child is a girl?

Alice on November 12th, 2008

I’m totally for having a preference and saying it but I’m thinking he might be going a bit to far… “I would like a little boy this time” is fine but “any techniques you need to let me know for maybe the fourth one, if I don’t get it this time”??? Like if it’s not a boy he’ll just move on to the next child and this one doesn’t matter…

madison on November 12th, 2008

Statistics say that you have about the same odds with each baby – its roughly 50/50. Why they say that odds are with them that the next one will be a different gender than the first 2 is b/c the odds of having all the same gender children continue to go down with each child added to the family.

sil on November 12th, 2008

come on….i’m sure almost everybody has a preference, i did! with my first child i wanted with all my heart to have a girl, but obviously if i had a boy it would have been also wonderful. Now I’m pregnant with baby #2 and my husband will love to have a baby boy, but i’m sure if we have another girl he will love his little princess the same.
Besides, I think Jamie Oliver was very funny and probably he was joking, i mean maybe he wants a boy, but if the baby is a girl i’m sure he will be happy as well.

ps.- sorry for my english, sometimes is hard to explain myself in a language that’s not mine hope you will understand the idea…

marla on November 12th, 2008

chewing on rubber water bottles? how odd. but hey, if it works, it works.

and as far as gender preference goes, hearing this kind of thing just makes me a little sad. my first pregnancy was traumatic to say the least because during the gender ultrasound, docs discovered a brain abnormality in my son. what should’ve been a joyous day, turned into a complete and utter nightmare.

i know it’s only natural to say things like that, especially when your only reference point is a normal, healthy pregnancy. but when you’ve faced infertility or having your baby diagnosed in utero with something so devastating, your perspective changes. for me, hearing people say they were disappointed if their child was a different gender (which is not what he’s saying) makes my stomach hurt. all i want is a healthy baby. period.

Susan on November 12th, 2008

Marla – I hope you get your healthy baby soon. I think people sometimes forget how lucky they are to have and carry children.

Best of luck Marla. I’m pulling for you!

jane on November 12th, 2008

I hope he gets his son one day. I know what it’s like to crave one gender after having several children of the opposite gender. Call me ungrateful for wanting what I want, but just remember for everyone who says I’m selfish, there are people that complain that people who go through repeated miscarriages and fertility treatments are selfish for not giving up and adopting. Everyone is so judgmental that no one can fit everyone’s idea of perfection.

I say good luck to him. You know he gets asked about his preference in every interview and is just being honest.

kim on November 12th, 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEGhAgLP5rw

here is the interview. the way he says it is really funny and i am absolutely sure he would adore the baby if it’s a girl again!

phoebe on November 12th, 2008

I just wanted to add my best wishes Marla, I’ll be thinking of you and your baby .

Lauren on November 12th, 2008

Marla, I see your point. I’m exactly what you said, just a little sad – nothing too drastic, though! And I really hope all is well with you and yours. Good luck!

Alicia on November 12th, 2008

My sister was a stillborn. Do you think my mom or dad cared what gender she was when they was holding a dead baby in their arms? Hell No. Once you’ve had to bury your own child, you’re just grateful you have any healthy children at all. I shouldn’t be mad because it’s human nature to have a gender preference for your baby but I am. When it gets to a certain point, it becomes selfish and more about your own wants.

marla on November 12th, 2008

thanks susan. i should’ve added(but didn’t b/c i thought my email was too long) is that i do have my 2 boys, my first has some issues (we continued the pregnancy), but my second is typically developing. we are trying for a third healthy baby, which is what i meant.

Erica on November 12th, 2008

Alicia, ITA. I do think having a gender preference is normal and natural, but to go on and on about it and to go to such lengths to have a particular sex is totally missing the point. People should never take having a healthy child for granted, and instead of focusing so much on ways of producing a son I think parents like Jamie Oliver should redirect all that energy towards being grateful for what they’ve already got! Parenthood is not a right, it’s a privilege.

LanLan on November 12th, 2008

Boy it’s going to bad if this child is a girl…

Susan on November 12th, 2008

Marla – I hope you get baby number three and that he or she is healthy and that the rest of your family stays healthy. I am unlikely to have children (complicated emotional stuff, no reason to get into it here), so I wish every woman (and man) a healthy, happy and noisy family.

fay on November 12th, 2008

i want a girl, when i refer to my baby i refer to it in feminine terms, or neutral terms… SOMETIMES but very rarely masculine pronouns will escape…

i want a healthy baby girl….

healthy 1, girl 2

but whatever i have i’m good… but EVERYONE who knows, knows i want a girl…

when i call the baby by its name, i call it by the girl name i’ve chosen…

if i have a boy i’ll love my baby boy and he’ll be the flyest baby boy in minneapolis… he’ll be the baby boy ALL the ladies wish they had… HOWEVER… i believe in claiming what you want, and i WANT a beautiful, healthy, smart, baby girl…

and frankly any of you who don’t like it, can kick rocks… (smile)

Susan on November 12th, 2008

After my older brother was born, my parents wanted another child. Mom wanted a girl to even things out, and they looked at the sonagram and said “oh, another boy!” And she was so excited that the baby was healthy and got so excited thinking about the playmate for my brother that she quite forgot to be disappointed.

And then I turned out to be a girl anyway and she was so excited that I was here and healthy that she forgot to be disappointed that my brother didn’t have a boy playmate. And she just loved me for me. And has since the day I was born.

Émilie on November 12th, 2008

C’mon people, he is so joking!!!!! Don’t you see it?

SH on November 12th, 2008

A lot of people on here seriously need to watch the video. He’s on David Letterman! It’s supposed to be lighthearted and he probably isn’t serious about anything he’s saying…

Anna on November 12th, 2008

Hey! I’ve had my preferences too! I’ve always wanted a girl and did every possible step to get myself one – I mean without doctor’s interference. I laughed my bum off when my son was born… maybe next time…

Nicole on November 12th, 2008

Yeesh, people are acting like he said he would throw the baby out on the street if it was girl! Just because you’re hoping for one gender doesn’t mean you don’t love the child no matter what! Some people have gender preferences, some don’t.

Why don’t you wait until you have proof that if the baby is a girl he’s going to be a terrible parent to her before you start throwing down judgment? Yeesh.

Ruthella on November 12th, 2008

I don’t blame Jamie for wanting a boy, although I do think he’s slightly over-doing it with the comments now… Not so much what he’s saying, but how frequently, if that makes sense?

Anyway, I was desperate for a girl after two boys and I mean DEPSERATE. We tried all the ‘methods’ (like the opposite of what Jamie’s saying!) and we conceived again. At the gender-scan, we were told that there was a problem and my baby was born sleeping at 22 weeks.

As I didn’t want to see the baby, we were never 100% certain but the sonographer said she was pretty sure he was a boy.

So, when we decided to try again, of course my first thought was that I wanted a healthy baby and for everything to go right. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still depserate for a girl…if I wasn’t, I’d never have gone through with another pregnancy.

I’d have loved another boy just the same but we were blessed with a girl and I am thankful every minute of every day for my little princess.

It sounds extreme but I’d never have been completely happy my whole life without a daughter, and now I am. Her brother made room for her and I am so grateful for that.

So I totally understand where Jamie’s coming from, but with him being in the public eye, I’d maybe tone it down just a little in case his future daughter’s feelings are ever hurt…

J to tha da on November 12th, 2008

After having 4 sons my mom finally had a daughter (ME!). I really don’t think there is anything wrong with having a preference. I think it honestly goes back to when you were little, and for some of us imagining helping our little her dress for her prom or wedding, seeing her pregnant. Or having a son to play catch with, a little junior of dad.

J to tha da on November 12th, 2008

And also my brothers always joke about how my mom wanted a girl and boys kept popping out. No hurt feelings there!

gemini on November 12th, 2008

is it really that big of an issue that he wants a boy? seriously, he has never said that he would love the child less if it were a girl or anything similar to that, so really what is the big deal? It does not make him a bad person or even a bad parent to want the chance to have a boy after already having two girls…there are so many other worse things in the world than having a preference for the sex of their child

Sarita on November 12th, 2008

Of course he wants a healthy baba, isn’t that a given? I think most people have a preference and there is nothing wrong with that.

Trista Sutter is now saying she doesn’t car if it’s a boy or a girl as long as it’s healthy because apparrantly it’s the right thing to say, but I think in her heart she probably still has the preference for a girl.

Lilly on November 12th, 2008

It always makes me laugh when people say that their odds will get better of having X gender because they have 2, 3, or 4 of Y gender. The odds are always 50/50 no matter how many children you have or don’t have.

Stat Man on November 12th, 2008

To the previous poster who touched on statistics regarding the probability of it being a boy or girl. From a straight individual baby perspective, the comments are correct. Without biological study, the chance that a baby would be a boy is a 50-50 shot.

However based on the family history of having 2 girls (which was a one in four chance), the probability of having 3 girls in a row is a one in eight chance.
The number of populations are (G=girl, B=boy) GGG, GGB, GBG, etc… through all possible eight combinations. The probability of having ‘n’ number of girls is 1/2^n, read as 2 to the nth power.

Therefore it is not a 50-50 shot and the author was correct in stating that the odds are in the couples favor that their third child will be a boy.

Kerri on November 12th, 2008

As far as the odds go, they are 1 in 8 for having 4 girls. However, 3 girls have already been born and the odds of any individual child being born a boy or a girl are 50-50.

So if you have no children, you odds of 4 straight girls are 1 in 8, but the odds of the sex of each of those babies is still 50-50.

It’s a confusing concept. Point being, no more or less likely for a particular sex.

CelebBabyLover on November 13th, 2008

Kerri- They currently have two girls, not three! When Jamie made the comment about “the fourth one”, he was referring to trying again for a boy if this baby (their third) turns out to be a girl.

Corinne on November 13th, 2008

I know it’s human to have a gender preference but the fact that he keeps laying stress on his wish to have a boy bothers me. What if this baby is a girl and ever finds her dad’s comments? What if he has a boy and his other daughters find out about him wanting a boy more than anything else? It feels somehow inappropriate and potentially hurtful.

Margot on November 14th, 2008

Other than the fact that they have two girls and not three, Kerri is right – when there are no children, the odds of having three girls is 1/8, but given that they already have two daughters, the probability of this baby being a girl is 50%. The gender of the children already born does NOT influence the gender of the new child. It’s like claiming that flipping two heads on a coin means that there is a higher probability of the third flip giving a tails outcome – NOT TRUE. I’m a Maths teacher and I know these things.