Will Mellor insulted James Martin's cooking on live television, and the celebrity chef responded with a sharp two-word retort: 'Grow up.' The moment occurred during a filming of James Martin's Saturday Morning on ITV, when Mellor complained about prawns served with their heads still attached.
Prawn Dispute on Set
The incident was recounted by Mellor and his Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps co-star Ralf Little on The Two Pints Podcast. Martin, 53, was cooking prawns and squid in a wood-fired oven at his home. When Mellor saw the prawns with heads on, he told Martin, 'I don't like their heads on.' Martin replied, 'Grow up.'
Little, 46, recalled the moment: 'We go on James Martin's show. James is this very successful chef, very talented chef, and he's making us prawns, with their heads on, prawns and squid on a wood fire grill right there in front of us.' He added that during a break, the grill began smoking, and Mellor whispered to him, 'He's made a f****** balls of those prawns hasn't he. Burnt to f*** they are.'
Martin's Blunt Comeback
Mellor shared the exchange directly: 'What about what he said about the prawns? I said: "I don't like their heads on." He went: "Grow up."' Despite the insult, both actors praised Martin, calling him 'a great guy' and 'a top guy.' Little said the remark left him in tears, so much so that the crew worried he needed makeup attention. 'Someone said "we need to get makeup in for Ralf's eyes because he's crying" and he's crying because this nobhead's just turned around to me about the chef,' Little recounted.
Martin's Career and Show
James Martin has been a TV chef for two decades, starting on Ready Steady Cook, The Big Breakfast, and Richard and Judy. He took over Saturday Kitchen in 2006 before leaving the BBC after ten years. In 2017, he launched James Martin's Saturday Morning on ITV, which he hosts from his home, featuring a range of celebrity guests.
Rice Cooking Query
During the same episode, Mellor also asked Martin how to cook rice properly. Martin replied, 'It's easy. You just do one part rice, to four parts water.' Mellor then asked, 'What's a part?' leaving Little laughing again. The anecdote highlights the lighthearted banter between the chef and his guests.
