TV chef James Martin has disclosed that he was diagnosed with facial cancer several years ago, following reports of complaints about his behaviour towards production staff.
In a series of tweets, Martin described the end of 2017 as 'one of the most fraught and difficult periods of my life'. He revealed the diagnosis came around the time of an incident in 2018 when he became angry after a drain was blocked at his home during filming of his show, James Martin's Saturday Morning.
Martin apologised to the crew involved, saying he 'overreacted' due to the stress of his cancer diagnosis, his grandfather's death, and a home burglary. He noted that the cancer 'has returned on several occasions' following surgery, requiring 'regular treatments'.
The chef and production company Blue Marlin issued a joint statement earlier this week, stating they 'agree lessons have been learned'. ITV had received complaints about Martin's treatment of staff, with reports of him berating people and reducing them to tears.
An ITV spokesman said 'people and their welfare' was their 'highest priority' and that they had made recommendations to Blue Marlin regarding staff welfare and conduct.
