Jean-Christophe Novelli Net Worth, Wife, Child Cancer, Married, Children, Parents, Family

Jean-Christophe Novelli Biography – Jean-Christophe Novelli Wiki

Jean-Christophe Novelli is a French chef, restaurateur and author. The 5/5 AA Rosette awarded chef owns the award-winning Novelli Academy Cookery School, one of the world’s top cookery schools.

Jean-Christophe began his food career at the age of 14 as a baker in his home town of Arras, Northern France before becoming the private Head Chef to Elie de Rothschild and his son Nathanial at the age of 19 in Paris.

He moved to the UK in 1983. He worked in several well-known establishments including The Chewton Glen. In 1989, Jean-Christophe was offered an opportunity to work and live with the legendary Keith Floyd, taking charge of his pub, ‘The Maltsters’ as the chef patron.

He then became the chef patron at the Gordonton Mill in 1991 in Hampshire where he earned his first Michelin star after only one year. In 1994 Jean-Christophe was offered the position of head chef at the Four Seasons hotel in Park Lane where he earned another Michelin star immediately.

In 1996 Jean-Christophe began the foundations for his self-financed mini empire of multi-award-winning restaurants internationally. While running his mini-empire Jean-Christophe also became the Chef-Consultant on Sea France ferries for 3 years looking after 8 ferries from Dover to Calais.

Jean-Christophe then became the Chef Director of Brockett Hall Estate from 2002 to 2005. In 2003 Jean-Christophe bought the 14th Century Crouchmoor Farm in Hertfordshire, and opened the Novelli cookery school with his wife Michelle in 2005.

TV Appearances

Jean-Christophe has appeared on many TV programmes since the early 90s, including Hell’s Kitchen, Chef Academy in the US, Celebrity X Factor, Alive – Back to the Andes, Jonathon Ross, Comic & Sport Relief, Celebrity Cribs, Family Fortunes, Shooting Stars, Cooking With The Stars, Bargain Hunt, Children in Need and even Celebrity Hunted where he finished 1st. He’s been featured in Newspapers and publications both nationally and worldwide. Over his illustrious career, Jean-Christophe has written numerous exciting recipe books.

Awards

Jean-Christophe has received several accolades including the AA Chefs Chefs of the Year, 5 out 5 AA Rosettes, 4 individual Michelin stars, winner of the Egon Ronay Best Dessert of the Year in the UK with Golden Spoon Distinction and represented the UK as a finalist in the European Chef of the year held in Copenhagen. His most recent accolades were the QE Lifetime Achievement at the British Restaurant Awards and was honoured to receive an MBE.

Jean-Christophe was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Bedfordshire in honour of his outstanding achievements in the culinary arts and broadcast industry.

Jean-Christophe Novelli Age

Masterchef Australia Judge Jean-Christophe Novelli was born on 22 February 1961 in Arras, France.

Jean-Christophe Novelli Wife

TV chef Jean-Christophe Novelli is married to his wife Michelle Kennedy, a former marketing consultant. Jean-Christophe met Michelle in 2005 and got engaged in November 2007. The French chef has been married twice before to his first wife, Tina, and his second wife, Anzelle Visser. He has a daughter Christina from his first marriage.

Jean-Christophe and his wife Michelle are fully involved in supporting various charities including Neuroblastoma Australia.

Jean-Christophe Novelli Family

Award-winning chef Jean-Christophe Novelli has four children: Christina, Jean Frankie, Jacques and Valentino. Singer and songwriter Christina is Jean-Christophe Novelli’s daughter from his first marriage to Tina. The Michelin star chef has three sons with wife Michelle.

Christina married her wife Tara Sirrell in 2019 on the Greek island of Santorini surrounded by friends and family, according to HELLO! Magazine. Tara is a music manager.

“It was the perfect wedding,” Jean-Christophe told HELLO! “It was so romantic, like watching a movie. It’s beautiful to see two people who are so in love, and all the people there were the perfect ingredients of the most amazing recipe.”

He added: “I was so proud because, even though she’s an adult now, my daughter is still my baby.”

Jean-Christophe Novelli Child Cancer

Celebrity Chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and wife Michelle’s son, Valentino, was diagnosed with cancer in 2016. Jean-Christophe and Michelle’s third son, Valentino was born in September 2016. He was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma at just six weeks old after his mother found a hard lump on his neck while feeding him and took him straight to the hospital. An MRI scan confirmed that Valentino had stage four neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

After diagnosing neuroblastoma, Valentino’s doctor sent off a blood sample for genomic sequencing, in order to understand the severity of the cancer. The genomic test confirmed that Valentino had a childhood cancer, with a high chance of being successfully treated.

Michelle told NHS East Genomics: “When we first found out Valentino had a treatable form of neuroblastoma we were so relieved. The result gave us the hope we needed and it helped reassure us as well as the clinicians that he was on the most appropriate treatment for his specific type of cancer.”

Neuroblastoma is a cancer of developing nerve cells and it affects around 100 children every year in the UK, most commonly under-fives. Symptoms include a lump in the neck – as in Valentino’s case – as well as blue lumps in the skin and bruising, often around the eyes.

Having overcome cancer, Valentino was diagnosed with severe autism. Michelle told Hello! Magazine: “We’re having to accept that he may be non-verbal, which is very sad. He can’t even say ‘Mummy’, which is heartbreaking.”

Jean-Christophe Novelli Parents

Jean-Christophe Novelli is the son of Jean and Monique. They live in France. His mother, Monique, inspired his love for food. He said: “My mother Monique had polio when she was four and has been disabled all her life. She’s never complained or shown any weakness, and she’s also an amazing cook, who inspired my love for food.”

Jean-Christophe Novelli Net Worth

World-renowned chef Jean-Christophe Novelli has an estimated net‌ worth of £10 million. He has acquired wealth from his illustrious career in the hospitality industry, consultancy, TV food shows, speaker events, and a variety of brand partnerships and endorsements.

Jean-Christophe Novelli MasterChef Australia

In October 2023, Jean-Christophe Novelli was announced as one of three new judges on MasterChef Australia alongside MasterChef alumnus Poh Ling Yeow and food critic and journalist Sofia Levin.

Jean-Christophe said: “Fostering culinary talent is something I have cared about for many years, and it is a passion I am excited to share in the MasterChef Kitchen. Australian cuisine has a remarkable reputation on the world stage, and it will be a great privilege to meet and mentor the country’s top home cooks on their journeys to greatness.”

Nationality

He is of French nationality.

Jean-Christophe Novelli Instagram

Jean-Christophe Novelli’s Instagram handle is jeanchristophe_novelli.