James Martin has said his restaurants will "always come first", revealing that his main job remains working as a chef despite his long-running television career. The celebrity chef, who has reportedly lost three stone and recently showed off his slimmer figure alongside his fiancée, Kim Johnson, was speaking after a period of ill health that included a cancer battle and life-changing surgery.
Cancer battle and recovery
James revealed that he was diagnosed with facial cancer in 2017 and underwent surgery the following year. In April 2024, the Saturday Morning star said he had been given the all-clear.
His broadcasting career has been going strong for three decades, but his priorities lie elsewhere. Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, James disclosed he had been working in a restaurant until 1.30am that very morning.
"You work as a chef, my main job is I work in restaurants. I was working in a restaurant until 1.30am this morning – that is my job, that's what I do. Television is a part of it, but it is not 'the' part of it. The restaurants will always come first."
Restaurant portfolio and ratings claims
Outside his TV work, Martin has put serious roots down in the restaurant world. His ventures include James Martin Manchester, a dining offering at The Lygon Arms in the Cotswolds, and The Kitchen at Chewton Glen in Hampshire.
It comes after fresh claims about an unusual move he reportedly made to drive up audiences for Saturday Morning. The story was raised by Holly Willoughby during a chat with Joanne McNally on Willoughby's YouTube series, Holly Willoughby Together.
She remarked: "I was listening to something this morning on the radio, you know James Martin who [used to do] Saturday Kitchen?. He's like a Yorkshire kind of lad and he had his colours done, went back on Saturday Morning wearing colours and the ratings went up like 40 per cent and consistently stayed the same."
Guest experiences and tour success
While sharing the story, Holly accidentally snagged a coat hanger on her outfit, briefly revealing her bra. She quipped: "That's how I get my ratings up", before noting of James: "Apparently, it was because of the colours".
Meanwhile, Ralf Little and Will Mellor have opened up about an unexpected detail they noticed when they guested on James Martin's Saturday Morning. The Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps pair said Martin personally showed them around off-camera, giving them a glimpse behind the curtain.
Will shared on The Two Pints podcast: "It was a great experience, it was nice to go on and talk about, obviously, the pod and how interested he is. But also how well he's done on tours. He does a tour."
Ralf disclosed that he spotted a poster at James' residence, where filming takes place: "He has a poster, he sold 30,000 tickets and smashed his tour and on one of his posters it just goes, '26 shows, 26 standing ovations, 26,000 more ticket sales than Paul Hollywood'. I thought that was really class."
Catch James Martin's Saturday Morning today (August 22) on ITV, from 10.30am to 1pm.
