Jamie Oliver has revealed he turned down a part in the film adaptation of The Hobbit.
The celebrity chef, 39, said he was asked to cook at director Peter Jackson's 50th birthday, which took place during filming of the J. R. R. Tolkien classic, and in exchange he was offered a role as a hobbit.
But Oliver said that despite looking forward to the prospect of taking his costume home to impress wife Jools in the bedroom, he had to reject the offer because of other work commitments.
He spoke about the missed opportunity in his new Channel 4 series Jamie And Jimmy's Friday Night Feast, which he stars in with close friend Jimmy Doherty.
Speaking on the programme, he said: "The worst thing that happened to me was that I got phoned up by the exec producer and asked did I want to go and cook for Peter Jackson's birthday, the big birthday?
"And if I did, they would fly me over and I could be a hobbit in the film. But I was working, I couldn't get out of it. I really wanted to do it, I would have got right into it as well, I would have taken the costume home and said 'Jools, let's make love!'."
The first edition of the six-part series - filmed in a pop-up cafe on Southend pier - is to be screened on January 2.
Guests include Hugh Bonneville, Ellie Goulding, Tinie Tempah, Michael Sheen and Paloma Faith.
