Jamie Oliver’s wife Jools on her five heartbreaking miscarriages: ‘It looked like a murder scene’

The star admitted she felt ‘guilty’ at wanting to try for another baby

Jools Oliver, the wife of TV chef Jamie Oliver, has previously opened up about enduring several agonising miscarriages.

Jamie and Jools Oliver share five children together – Poppy, Daisy, Petal, Buddy, and River Rocket. There are 14 years between their eldest Poppy, 23, and youngest River Rocket, who was born in August 2016.

However, despite having such a large family, the couple have sadly suffered baby loss – including a miscarriage that nearly proved fatal for Jools, who turned 50 last year.

Jools and Jamie Oliver share five children together (Credit: Splashnews.com)

Jools Oliver on her baby loss

Speaking in August 2021, Jools addressed nearly dying due to a miscarriage that left her with PTSD.

She said during an interview on baby loss charity Saying Goodbye’s podcast Life & Soul that she felt miscarriage remained a taboo subject. That’s despite miscarriage affecting one in four pregnancies in the UK.

However, Jools – married to Jamie since 2000 – admitted she felt as if she couldn’t speak openly about her own experiences.

“I felt guilty as I had four children and thought I can’t tell people about my miscarriages,” Jools said at the time.

“I stopped telling my friends. I didn’t even tell my mum as I was sure she was thinking, you’re 40 something, you’ve got a wonderful family, you’ve got everything you’ve ever wanted, why are you pushing it?”

Jools also said she “didn’t even really tell Jamie” when she was pregnant as she was concerned he’d wonder why they were putting themselves through pain.

Jools added: “I thought I was putting people through hell for my own selfish gain, and that’s terrible.”

Jools Oliver: ‘I thought I can’t tell people about my miscarriages’ (Credit: Splashnews.com)

‘I didn’t know what to do’

Jools revealed her first miscarriage occurred when she was 41, before she had her youngest child, River Rocket. A second miscarriage endangered her life – and she believes she may not have survived if she hadn’t got to hospital when she did.

“Miscarriages can be so damn dangerous, they can take your life,” she reflected.

Opening up, Jools shared: “It was a miscarriage, a bit of bleeding, I thought it would just be like number one. I went to the doctor, they said the horrific thing is there is no heartbeat. I took the pill they give you to help bring on the contractions, all weekend nothing happened, I went on long walks, I went to my daughter’s concert, nothing.”

Jools’ doctor then booked her in for a procedure, however, she explains that she “stupidly left it too late”. “I went to get my breast checked… as I was getting my boobs checked I just felt a gush. It kept coming, and coming, and the doctor said: ‘Are you okay, you’ve gone very white.’ And I said: ‘I’m having a miscarriage actually.’

“I went to the loo, it was all coming out. Normally I know what to do, but I didn’t know what to do. I stuffed nappies, anything – I must have had three nappies, a loo roll and I thought it’s going to stop.”

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A post shared by Jools Oliver (@joolsoliver)

‘I must’ve passed out’

Jools told how she then got in the car to drive to the hospital while bleeding heavily, but ended up calling for an ambulance as she knew her life was at risk. When Jamie arrived at the hospital, she said it looked like a “murder scene” as she continued to ask the staff if she was going to die.

“I don’t remember the rest,” she continued: “I must have almost passed out, and the doctor said: ‘Look, we’re just going to do the operation.’”

Jools Oliver on PTSD and flashbacks

She added that she has since suffered from PTSD  and will often have flashbacks from the day of the second miscarriage.

“These are flashbacks I will have to deal with for the rest of my life,” she said.