Celebrity chef James Martin has announced he is stepping away from social media after being subjected to a barrage of abusive comments following a problematic online cook-a-long. The 48-year-old This Morning regular hosted a live event where fans were guided through preparing a three-course meal, but technical difficulties led to freezing feeds and interrupted connections.
In a statement posted on social media, Martin apologised for the issues and revealed he would be taking a break from posting personally for the foreseeable future. He wrote: 'Having seen some of the comments posted online regarding last night's cook along and the anger towards me given the technical issues that the production team were having, I would like to apologise again for this.'
Martin added: 'To the rest of you who had a good night, thank you but due to the large amount of vile comments posted directly towards me, this will be my last post as I will be taking a break from posting personally and all social media for the foreseeable future.'
The chef, known for his live recipe demonstrations on This Morning, has since received an outpouring of support from fans. One wrote: 'I'm so sorry to hear this James. You are my fav chef on TV. I will so miss your posts, they cheer me up with your positivity in these dark times.'
Martin's departure from social media highlights the ongoing issue of online trolling faced by public figures. He confirmed he would be following up with the production company and IT team to address the technical problems that sparked the backlash.
