The celebrity chef opened up about his beloved grandmother Marjorie who died before seeing him star in a show she was a ‘huge fan’ of
James has leant on his family throughout his career(Image: ITV)
James Martin has shared a poignant family revelation that he admits leaves him with “sadness”. The 52-year-old chef first gained recognition as part of the Ready Steady Cook team.
Since then, he’s featured across numerous television programmes including the likes of Housecall and Entertaining with James. In 2006 he joined Saturday Kitchen, presenting the weekend programme for a decade.
Throughout his professional journey, James has relied upon his family’s steadfast support, particularly from his devoted grandmother Marjorie, who he says tuned into every programme he featured in.
Tragically, she passed away before James appeared on one specific show that she was a “huge fan” of. In conversation with Candis magazine, he revealed: “Mum is my biggest fan and the most honest person I know. My granny, Marjorie, also watched everything I did.”
He continued: “She was a huge fan of Strictly and it’s a sadness to me that she didn’t live long enough to see me take part in 2005.”
James took part in the third series of Strictly Come Dancing, where he was paired with professional dancer Camilla Dallerup. He secured fourth place behind radio presenter Zoe Ball, with Olympian Colin Jackson finishing runner-up and cricketer Darren Gough claiming the Glitterball Trophy.
James, who grew up on a farm in North Yorkshire, attributes his culinary passion to his grandmother’s influence. In a 2011 Mirror interview, he recalled enjoying fresh produce from his grandparents’ allotment during his childhood.
The chef even credits his grandparents with nurturing his passion for cooking, backing him when he secured a position in a local kitchen before attending culinary school. He said: “My grandmother was a huge influence in my life and inadvertently inspired me to be a chef.
“She baked and cooked, and she was just wonderful. If I could be 10% of what she was, I’d be a lucky man.
“As a boy, my most vivid memories are of helping her dig up potatoes fresh from her allotment, then boiling them up with some mint. If someone asks you what your most memorable meal was, it’s seldom something you had in a restaurant, it’s what you ate at home as a kid, isn’t it?”.
He added: “I remember going shopping with her and watching her buy bacon and crusty white bread. You’d just see her backside as she disappeared into the shelf, reaching right to the back for the freshest loaf, squeezing them until she found it.
“When we got home she’d grill the bacon on one of those old enamel gas cookers with red buttons. It would take ages to warm up and cook, and the room would fill with the smell of cooking fat.”
James returns to television with James Martin’s Saturday Morning from 9.30am today (March 14). Joining him will be vocalist and television presenter Jane McDonald alongside chefs Judy Joo and Curtis Stone plus mixologist Merlin Griffiths.