Behind the Scenes of CMAT's 'The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station'

CMAT's manager rang me at the end of last year, and said "Eilís we want to make a music video for Jamie Oliver Petrol Station, but only if Jamie Oliver will cameo in it". This was before they had even reached out to his team, so I'll admit I was skeptical. 

Despite the lyrics "I was at the Jamie Oliver Petrol Station/...God, I hate him" the song isn’t a diss aimed at Jamie Oliver. Instead it reflects on Ciara confronting her own tendency to judge people unfairly. I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure if Jamie would get it. A couple of weeks later CMAT's manager let me know that, hilariously, he agreed, wholeheartedly at that.

BRIEF
So, here's the brief that we had to work with...

• Jamie would be available for two hours ONLY 
• Shooting would take place in a chaotic Jamie Oliver restaurant that was two weeks from opening its doors
• Jamie would like to play drums
• Dancing = good
• Maximalism = good

What I usually do when I begin building an idea for a music video concept is to listen to the song over and over and try to recognise how it makes me feel. Jamie Oliver Petrol Station makes me feel a bit mental, it has a crazy build up and a release. It also has such a campy ‘70s sound that reminded me of The Brady Bunch and Austin Powers.

I knew I then wanted there to be a simple storyline, and for CMAT and Jamie to come together in some way. CMAT wanted Jamie to drum as she knew he could from his show "The Naked Chef". I wondered how I'd create a gag of some sort, a nod to the concept of the song lyrics. I thought, wouldn't it be funny if Jamie was absolutely sick of being a chef, and gave us a proper Jeremy Allen White in ‘The Bear’ performance. Then, CMAT shows up like a fairy godmother to give him the gift of drumming again, almost like extending an olive branch.

I edited a sizzle reel that featured clips of the Bear and The Brady Bunch Variety Show.

Ciara (CMAT) watched it and replied "omg, I love the juxtoposish". She usually never gives me a yes or a no, but after five years of collaborating I can pretty much decipher if she likes something or not. While she will absolutely tell me if she's not a fan of an idea, she is extremely comfortable with trying stuff, her confidence makes working with her very very fun.

PRODUCTION 

From there the performance concept took shape. The Sexy CMAT Band signed up enthusiastically to be our Brady Bunch family, with the agreement that the "dance moves would be simple". I'm not a choreographer so I replied, "do not worry". The choreography deliberately embraced that slightly clumsy, enthusiastic energy rather than polished precision. I developed the routine using inspiration from the Brady Bunch and filmed myself in my kitchen before sharing with Ciara. She immediately connected with the direction and added a reference to an Italian performer, Raffaella Carrà, pushing the direction further towards playful, retro and camp. The dancers had roughly a week to learn the final choreography, and their commitment to the spirit of it all elevated the piece so much.

The production design and styling followed the same logic. The set, designed and created by Benny Casey, drew heavily from the colour palettes and geometric staging of 1970s television, including classic variety shows and game shows. Platforms were built for each performer, creating a deliberately artificial studio environment that reinforced the theatrical world. It gave the video a heightened, slightly surreal visual language that echoed the tone of the song. Working with stylist Katie McLoughlin Robinson, we dressed Ciara in Cher-inspired feathers while the dancers’ palette echoed the iconic Brady Bunch family.

With only two hours scheduled at his restaurant, the scenes with Jamie Oliver needed to be simple and direct. Overwhelmed in the kitchen, Jamie looks up to see the drummer Hannah on television. Moments later CMAT appears in his restaurant, handing him drumsticks and pulling him into the performance. 

Those two hours were, well, chaotic. The restaurant was in full pre-opening week mode, with chefs in training and management working on the final touchesI knew I was being ambitious with all the scenes I wanted to get, but I didn't want to simplify. I knew I could get what we needed quickly if we planned things perfectly. Producer Kate Brady made sure everything was aligned in the most strategic way possible, with the help of assistant producer Rosie. Jamie was great, he was fully onboard with everything… except for cursing.... he’s a classy guy. He fully embraced the absurdity of the idea, throwing himself into the scenes with enthusiasm. After we wrapped Jamie was kind enough to gift CMAT a bunch of flowers for her 30th birthday, as well as cooking the crew lunch, which was delicious.

RESULTS

CMAT decided to premiere the music video at her headline gig at Alexandra Palace in London and it got a big roar of approval. The Guardian called it a "tragicomedy of misdirected anger," while DIY Magazine hailed it as "the crossover we’ve all been waiting for." BBC Northern Ireland also interviewed me, to get my take as director, and quoted me about the chaos on set “Chefs were walking around and I was giving out to them for being in our shots and they were being like, 'who are you?'.

The fan response online has been massive, with the video quickly racking up over 150,000 views in its first few days. Fans have flooded the comments, with many calling it "the campiest thing to happen to 2026". 

All in all, I loved this experience and hope to get more opportunities to create high-concept silliness in pop music.