THIRSK-based business Twisted Automotive has supplied Jamie Oliver with a vehicle to help the TV chef navigate Italy for his latest project.

The new Channel 4 show ‘Jamie Cooks Italy’, sees the chef travel the country seeking authentic Italian food.

He has been a fan of the Twisted brand for a number of years and the company was delighted to supply him with a Twisted Retro Edition vehicle for the programme.

Jamie said: “I needed a vehicle that wouldn’t let me down.

“Last time, I headed out in an old camper van and I spent half my time shipping parts out to save it.

“So, the guys gave me something that would work.”

Twisted founder and managing director, Charles Fawcett, said: “Twisted has an eclectic base of customers and followers.

“We build vehicles for farmers from North Yorkshire and members of royal families in the Far East, and we’re proud to count Jamie as a part of the family now.

“One of the great appeals of this iconic vehicle is its versatility, so it’s no surprise that it looks as at home on the picturesque Mediterranean coast as it does in the muddy fields of Northern England.”

Twisted Automotive is recognised as the global authority on the Defender and specialises in redefining the vehicles to specifications of customers worldwide. The firm loaned the vehicle for the duration of filming.