British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver says he was offered the role of a hobbit in exchange for cooking director Peter Jackson a birthday meal, but rejected the chance due to work commitments.

The British cook told US actress Kate Hudson about the deal with the Lord of the Rings director on his new Channel 4 show, Jamie And Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast.

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“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,” he said.

“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,” he added.

“I would have got right into it as well, I would have taken the costume home and said ‘Jools, let’s make love!’,” joked the chef.