Jamie Oliver, 51, proudly reveals he has qualified as a pilot after the 'hardest' year of training

has revealed he has qualified as a pilot after the 'hardest' year of training.

The chef, 51, said he feels 'so invigorated' after challenging himself and learning a new skill in his fifties.

Jamie shared proud snaps of himself flying the aircraft following the gruelling training scheme.

He sweetly credited his wife Jools for getting him into the hobby after she got him a first discovery flight for his birthday present. 

He wrote on Instagram: I'm very proud and excited to share that I've qualified as a pilot. 

'Since my ❤️ @joolsoliver got me my first discovery flight as a birthday present I've fallen deeply in love with aviation and after a year of training I finally passed.

'It's certainly been one of the hardest, most wonderful and inspiring things I have ever done! It has challenged me in so many ways and stretched me as a person. 

'A huge thank you to Mick Pitcher @mickypitch1, what a man, salt of the earth and the best teacher I could have dreamed of. Thank you to Blondie @captainblondy your a true star, big love Mike and Carol at @andrewsfieldaviation, what a wonderful country airfield and what a community. 

'Thank you to chef Tony and the great team at @norwichaviationcentre where I passed through on my cross country solo, and big love to the guys at @conington_aviation.

'I had to do 9 exams for my PPL this was very Daunting for me as a DYSLEXIC so A big thank you to Seb at @pooleysaviationacademy and @pooleysflightequipment for allowing me to get the digital files of my Pooleys books, I was then able to load them into @naturalreaderapp and pass all my aviation exams and with flying colours!!. (Natural reader would have made such a difference to young me at school!) 

'Big love to Gary at @aircornwall for letting me fly around the silly isles of Cornwall, joy joy joy, and to Koos at @morningstar_flight_academy flying around Table Mountain in South Africa was breathtaking.

'A special thank you to @lindawheelergroundschool she's such great visual teaching. Not to mention the guys at @easypplgroundschool ….At 50 I feel so invigorated to take on something so challenging, and although the exams were hard, I did it.

'I'm buzzing I'm on cloud nine, inspired, proud of myself and so grateful to have met so many wonderful people along the way. Now the learning really starts. Let's see how this inspires my cooking Love Jamie xx [sic]'

Jamie and Jools celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary at the end of June.

He married the model, author, and designer in 2000 and share five children; Poppy Honey Rosie, 24, Daisy Boo Pamela, 23, Petal Blossom Rainbow, 17, Buddy Bear Maurice, 15 and River Rocket Blue Dallas, nine.

The couple renewed their wedding vows in the Maldives in 2023.

Last year, the couple reflected on a quarter of a century together and lifted the lid on the secret to a happy marriage.

Jamie gushed over his wife as he admitted 'opposites attract' and said he feels 'very blessed' to have been married for so long.

Jamie told Good Housekeeping UK: 'I wouldn't be the first to say opposites attract. We get on very well and we genuinely like each other, but we're also very different.

'That can create a certain tension, but it also seems to work, and I feel very blessed to have had 25 years.'