Art & Culture

Yorkshire chef James Martin, 51, shares heartbreaking cancer diagnosis

Sad news.

Georgina Pellant - 28th July 2023

Yorkshire chef James Martin, famous, amongst other things, for his all-encompassing love of butter, has opened up about a heartbreaking cancer diagnosis.

The celebrity chef, 51, has revealed that he has been diagnosed with cancer on his face and has received several treatments and surgeries.

Speaking out on his cancer diagnosis, Martin revealed to The Sun that he had first been treated in 2018 and had undergone surgery on his face - only for it to return again on "several occasions."

Responding to leaked audio of a ten-minute tirade directed at crew on his show James Martin’s Saturday Morning in which he reportedly swore over 40 times, he said that it was "one of the most fraught and difficult periods of my life".

He continued: "I was then diagnosed with cancer on my face and I had to have surgery, which I couldn't do until two days before Christmas when we had finished filming."

"Since then it has returned on several occasions and I have to have regular treatments."

The blistering recording, which dates back to 2018 but was leaked this week, saw Martin tell staff they should be “f**king fried” as he tells them to spend their lunch break standing up in the “f***ing rain”.

It reportedly came to light after crews filming James Martin’s Spanish Adventure filed complaints about the star's behaviour, leading to an internal investigation at ITV.

Speaking on the leaked recording, Martin said he "wholly regrets" his angry behaviour and agreed that "lessons have been learned."

In a statement given to The Sun about the rant, Martin said: "Firstly, I would like to publicly and sincerely apologise to the crew involved in this incident, as I did at the time.

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"I have always strived to keep my private life private.  However since details of a conversation, which was secretly recorded in January 2018, are now five years later being made public by a former member of our production team, I have decided to make a statement.

"The end of 2017 was one of the most fraught and difficult periods of my life.  I was dealing with the death of my last living grandparent, my grandfather, and on account of work commitments I could not attend his funeral.

"Later that month I was burgled at night by a team of masked men, who entered my house while my partner Louise was at home alone and I was away working.  I was devastated that she had to go through that alone.

"On top of this I was then diagnosed with cancer on my face and I had to have surgery, which I couldn't do until two days before Christmas when we had finished filming. Since then it has returned on several occasions and I have to have regular treatments. 

"After all this stress I was in a very emotional state, and when after filming in early January 2018 I discovered my home had been flooded while filming, I was extremely upset.

"I can only say I am human and following a build-up of personal life pressure, I admit that I overreacted regarding the damage to my home."

Featured image – James Martin