Jamie Oliver tops Christmas books charts for third consecutive time with 15-Minute Meals

Jamie Oliver (Getty Images)

Jamie Oliver is celebrating a third successive year with the best-selling Christmas book after his 15-Minute Meals title again topped the festive chart.

The Channel 4 chef and campaigner turned up the heat on his rivals by shifting 117,911 copies of his hardback book in the space of a week, according to Nielsen BookScan figures, to clinch the number one spot.

He was the most popular Christmas read in 2011 with Jamie's Great Britain and in 2010 with Jamie's 30-Minute Meals.

Earlier this month sales of 15-Minute Meals overtook those of JK Rowling's The Casual Vacancy, another best-seller which was published the same day and had taken a commanding lead for several weeks, but steady sales for Oliver eventually led to him overtaking.

Oliver - currently to be seen in Channel 4 show Jamie And Jimmy's Food Fight Club - said today: "Again, I'm truly humbled that the public have really responded to this book in such a big way. To write a book about everyday food that was both healthy and quick and delicious was a real challenge but one that I enjoyed.

"It was the hardest book I've had to write in 14 years and I absolutely put my heart and soul into it. Thanks so much to everyone who has bought it. Happy Christmas and happy cooking."

Tom Weldon, the CEO of publisher Penguin UK, said: "It is a great achievement to make it to Christmas number one, let alone to do it three years in a row.

"One of the keys to Jamie's success is that he tries to do something special with every one of his books. We are incredibly proud to be his publisher."

PA