Jamie Oliver turned down role in 'The Lord of the Rings'

LONDON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Jamie Oliver regrets turning down a role in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

The 39-year-old celebrity chef admitted as much while filming his new series, Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast. Oliver told actress Kate Hudson director Peter Jackson offered him the chance to appear in the sequel, but he was forced to turn the opportunity down.

"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," he related. "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."

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King went on to gross over $1.12 billion at the box office without Oliver. The trilogy of films earned a combined $2.89 billion, and Jackson's series of movies based on The Hobbit have made $2.54 billion thus far.

Oliver came to fame on BBC Two cooking program The Naked Chef in 1999, and subsequently starred on Jamie's Kitchen and Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. The Kate Hudson episode of Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast will air Jan. 2, 2015 on Channel 4.