'SO WONDERFUL THE FIRST TIME, WE DID IT AGAIN'

AFTER 23 YEARS OF MARRIAGE, JAMIE AND JOOLS OLIVER RENEW THEIR VOWS IN A SUN-SOAKED CEREMONY IN THE MALDIVES, ACCOMPANIED BY THEIR FIVE CHILDREN

-  ALISON GRAVES

White sun-drenched sands and crystal clear waters provided the idyllic backdrop as celebrity chef Jamie

Oliver and his wife Jools said "I do" 23 years after they first tied the knot.

Their intimate vow renewal ceremony took place at Soneva Fushi, one of the most luxurious resorts in the Maldives, and this time round the couple were joined by their five children.

In stunning pictures shared with OK!, Jamie and Jools can be seen reaffirming their love for each other on the white sands of the paradise island, which is part of the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve - an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Daughters Poppy Honey, 21, Daisy Boo, 20, Petal Blossom, 14, and sons Buddy Bear, 12, and River Rocket, six, were clearly over the moon to be part of their parents' big day.

Their romantic celebration has been a long time in the making, as the couple originally planned to renew their vows in the summer of 2020, to mark their 20th wedding anniversary.

"I'm going to cook some amazing food, maybe try and get people a little drunk in the night, definitely have a little disco," Jamie said, before the pandemic hit. "It's an opportunity to get everyone together just to say 'thanks'."

Last week, Jools and Jamie finally got to enjoy their picture-perfect celebration and there wasn't a chef's hat or pair of oven gloves in sight.

"After 23 years together, we thought it would be a special moment to celebrate renewing our wedding vows before the kids all start leaving the nest," Jamie, 47, said. "It was really special, funny and romantic, with the words in the ceremony making more sense having come this far together. It seems like a blink since the first wedding, which we kept very private apart from the paparazzi at the village church."