“We’re like Batman and Robin – obviously, I’m Batman.” Andi Oliver, 58, is with her daughter, Miquita, 37, bunkering down in a coastal cottage in Hastings for a while to recuperate after a busy 12 months of working together. “We just want to sleep for a bit,” groans Miquita. But between bickering over which houses are the best to peek into on walks back home in east London, bursting into unstoppable deep belly laughs every five minutes, and occasionally pausing our conversation to answer the calls of other family members, it becomes clear that a restful time isn’t something the Oliver women experience much of.
Both have successful television careers in their own rights (TV chef Andi is now a regular on weekend cooking shows; Miquita is best known for hosting 00s hit teen-show Popworld) but, in recent years, mother and daughter have merged their professional paths. It started with a BBC roadtrip show in 2018, Eight Go Rallying: The Road to Saigon, which saw them drive 3,000km around south-east Asia in a Morris Minor. They gained a deeper understanding of each other, and got a flair for working together, so when the pandemic hit, the pair formed a bubble and started an irresistibly upbeat Instagram series, What’s for Dinner Mummy?, documenting the joy of cooking. They also charmed viewers on Celebrity Gogglebox. Separately they are great – but united, they have an endorphin-pumping energy that can force a toothy smile out of anyone.
