Jamie Laing

Laing was born in Oxford and studied theatre and performance at the University of Leeds; he has said he disliked the course, which led him to decide to start his own business. He is the great-great-grandson of Alexander Grant, who invented the digestive biscuit.⁠[1][1][2][2]

His television debut was on the E4 reality series Made in Chelsea, the show that made him famous.⁠[3][1]

In 2012 Laing and Ed Williams co-founded the sweets brand Candy Kittens, and Laing has been a director of CANDY KITTENS LIMITED since January 20, 2012. He has recalled that the idea came from a sweet shop he saw in New York when he was 18 or 19; Williams, then a designer, suggested scaling the idea down to packets of sweets. The brand started with a pop-up shop on the King’s Road in London, focusing on “better sweets” made for adults.⁠[1][4][4][2][2][2][5]

Williams has recalled that the first product took nearly two years to develop, during which the pair built an audience through social media and in-person pop-ups; Laing has said that the two set ego aside from the start, and that he believes many businesses fail precisely because of ego.⁠[1][1][1]

In 2014 Candy Kittens opened its first sweet shop on the King’s Road in London and soon afterward launched in Selfridges.⁠[5]

After years of product development, in 2018 Candy Kittens switched to plant-based ingredients instead of animal gelatine, making its sweets vegan.⁠[5][5]

In November 2019 the German confectioner Katjes International, in a multi-million-pound deal, increased its holding in Candy Kittens to 50% of the share capital, taking a controlling stake. Candy Kittens then had retail sales of £10 million and aimed to grow them to more than £50 million with the help of the investment.⁠[6][7][6]

Laing took part in the 2020 series of the BBC dance competition Strictly Come Dancing and reached the grand final.⁠[3]

In October 2022 Candy Kittens became one of the first sweets brands to gain B Corp certification.⁠[1]

On October 20, 2022, BBC Radio 1 announced that Laing would co-host its Friday-to-Sunday 1pm–4pm weekend show with Matt Edmondson, covering for Mollie King during her maternity leave, with their first show on October 28. By then he was presenting the Radio 1 podcast 6 Degrees from Jamie and Spencer on BBC Sounds, was heard on the podcasts Private Parts and NearlyWeds, and had hosted the BBC Three show I Like The Way U Move. 6 Degrees from Jamie and Spencer ran to 207 episodes, the last released on October 31, 2024.⁠[3][3][3][3][8][8]

In February 2024 Radio 1 announced that Laing would replace the departing Jordan North and, from March 4, co-host the late-afternoon show Going Home with Vick Hope from 15:30 to 17:45, Monday to Thursday. As of October 2026, the show is presented by Vick Hope, Katie Thistleton, and Laing.⁠[9][9][10]

On August 28, 2024, The Venture Room released a street interview filmed on the King’s Road in London, in which Laing explained that he and his partner Ed Williams started Candy Kittens to change the sweets industry by removing ingredients such as gelatine. In the program he said the company started with £3,000 and made merchandise first before moving into sweets, and he described it as the fastest-growing confectionery company in the UK, selling a packet of sweets every three seconds.⁠[11][11][11][11][11][11]

By September 2024 Candy Kittens had moved into a newly opened headquarters in Marylebone, London, known internally as The Sweet Factory, which also houses Laing’s podcast production company Jampot Productions and the investment firm Tuckshop. The company’s revenue was £12 million in 2023, up from £9.4 million in 2022, and its products were sold through retailers including Selfridges, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, and Waitrose.⁠[1][1][1][1]

From March 17 to 21, 2025, Laing completed the “Ultra Marathon Man” challenge for the charity Comic Relief, setting off from BBC Broadcasting House in London and running an ultramarathon distance on each of five consecutive days, more than 150 miles (241 km) in total, finishing in Salford, Manchester, and raising £2,260,547. He said he was running to raise money for people affected by loneliness, anxiety, depression, and similar difficulties, and encouraged people to talk about their struggles.⁠[12][12][12][12][12][12][12]

On December 1, 2025, Unilever announced the sale of the snack brand Graze to Katjes International, with Graze placed in the Candy Kittens group. Laing said he was excited and grateful for the opportunity to continue building the Graze brand.⁠[13][13]

“It doesn’t cost money to test things.” He believes people often think starting a business means dropping out of university or quitting a job and spending money first, but any idea can first be tested in some form (at 15:50 in the video).⁠[11][11]

“Business is paid in two currencies, cash and experience; take the experience first and the cash will come later.” He advised not doing something for the money but because you love it and want to experience it (at 16:04 in the video).⁠[11][11]

“Look at the archaic categories.” He believes long-unchanged categories such as cereal, toothpaste, and sun cream offer opportunities for disruption (at 16:15 in the video).⁠[11][11]

Candy Kittens: Official website: https://candykittens.co.uk/ (opens in a new window).⁠[5]