Delia Smith facts for kids
Delia Smith (right) with her husband, Michael Wynn-Jones
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| Born | Delia Ann Smith 18 June 1941 Woking, Surrey, England |
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| Spouse |
Michael Wynn-Jones
(m. 1971) |
Delia Ann Smith (born 18 June 1941) is a famous English cook and television presenter. She is known for teaching people basic cookery skills in a simple and direct way. As one of the most popular celebrity chefs in Great Britain, she has inspired many people to try new things in the kitchen.
Delia is also famous for her role as Honorary Life President of the Norwich City football club. She and her husband, Michael Wynn-Jones, were the main owners of the club for many years.
Contents
Early Life and First Jobs
Delia was born in Woking, Surrey, England. Her father, Harold, was a RAF radio operator, and her mother, Etty, was from Wales. Delia left school at 16 and started working as a hairdresser. She also worked as a shop assistant and in a travel agency.
At age 21, she began working in a small restaurant in Paddington, London. She started by washing dishes, then became a waitress, and finally started helping with the cooking. This sparked her interest in food. She spent time at the British Museum reading English cookbooks to learn as much as she could.
Becoming a Famous Cook
Writing and Early TV Shows
In 1969, Delia became the cookery writer for a new magazine from the Daily Mirror. Her first article included recipes for a fish pâté, a beef dish, and a cheesecake. She even baked the cake seen on the cover of The Rolling Stones' album Let It Bleed.
In the early 1970s, Delia began appearing on television. She was the cook on a regional BBC show called Look East. Soon after, she got her own show, Family Fare, which was on TV from 1973 to 1975. She also appeared on the popular children's show Multicoloured Swap Shop, where she showed kids how to do basic cooking.
Best-Selling Books and TV Return
Delia's cookbooks became incredibly popular. Her 1995 book, Delia Smith's The Winter Collection, sold over 2 million copies. It was one of the best-selling books of the 1990s.
After announcing she would stop making TV shows in 2003, she returned in 2008 with a new series. The book that went with the series, How to Cheat at Cooking, also became a best-seller. In 2013, she decided to stop making TV shows for good and focus on sharing her recipes online.
The "Delia Effect"
Delia became so influential that when she used a certain ingredient on her show, supermarkets would often sell out of it. This became known as the "Delia effect."
For example, one of her TV shows, Delia's How to Cook, caused a 10% increase in egg sales across Britain. When she recommended a specific type of omelette pan, the pans quickly sold out in stores. The phrase "Delia effect" is now used to describe when a product suddenly becomes popular because a famous person recommended it.
Football Club Ownership
Delia and her husband Michael are huge fans of the football team Norwich City. They were season ticket holders for a long time. When the club was having financial problems, they were asked to invest money to help. They became the majority shareholders, owning most of the club.
Delia worked to improve the food served at the stadium on match days, which helped the club make more money.
The "Let's Be 'Avin' You!" Moment
In February 2005, during a very important match against Manchester City, Delia wanted to get the crowd excited. At half-time, she went onto the field, took the microphone, and shouted to the fans: "A message for the best football supporters in the world: we need a 12th man here. Where are you? Where are you? Let's be 'avin' you! Come on!"
Her passionate speech became a famous moment for the club and its supporters, even though Norwich lost the match 3–2.
Changes at the Club
In August 2011, Delia stepped down from her role in charge of catering at the football club. She felt it was time for a younger team to take over.
In October 2024, a major change happened at the club. An American businessman named Mark Attanasio increased his ownership of the club to 85%. This meant Delia and her husband were no longer the main owners. They became honorary life presidents, a role that recognizes their many years of dedication to Norwich City.
Honours and Personal Life
Delia has received many awards for her work. She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2009 for her contribution to cooking and recipe writing. In 2017, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH), which is one of the highest honours in the UK.
She has also received honorary degrees from several universities, including the University of Nottingham and the University of East Anglia.
Delia converted to Catholicism when she was 22. She has written a few short books about religion, including A Feast for Lent and A Feast for Advent.
