James Martin, This Morning regular chef and host of James Martin’s Saturday Morning, has revealed that he has undergone surgery for facial cancer and has received regular treatment since the initial operation in 2018.
The 51-year-old chef spoke about his illness after claims emerged of bullying behind-the-scenes on one of his ITV shows. US publication Deadline reported that Martin was “accused of berating people” and “reducing them to tears in front of other colleagues.”
In an earlier statement, the chef said he wholly regrets” his on-set behaviour and has now said, in a report by The Sun that the time around the allegations was “one of the most fraught and difficult periods of my life”.
He added: “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.”
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Following the allegations, Martin and production company Blue Marlin produced a joint statement saying they “agree lessons have been learned”. An ITV spokesman said “people and their welfare” was their “highest priority”. This Morning regular Martin and his production company said he “wholly regrets” his behaviour. You can keep up to date with the latest TV and showbiz news by signing up to the newsletter here.
Martin expanded on his situation to the publication adding that he’d “sincerely apologised” to the crew at the time of the rant in 2018.
He said: “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.”
An ITV spokesman said about the claims made to Deadline: “Following a complaint we received in May from members of the Blue Marlin production team about the filming of James Martin’s Spanish Adventure, we contacted Blue Marlin to discuss these concerns and to understand how the issues raised were being addressed and what actions were being taken.
“As a result, we made a number of recommendations for Blue Marlin to implement as soon as possible, sharing best practice of some of our own relevant procedures around staff welfare and reiterating our Supplier Code of Conduct.”
Martin said he has “taken on board ITV’s recommendations and their sharing of best practice, and are in the process of fully implementing”.
Blue Marlin said it “accepted responsibility” for “an unfortunate incident” which “occurred after filming”, adding that Martin’s home had been “badly damaged”. “James was shocked by what had happened and on reflection acknowledges he responded emotionally, which he wholly regrets,” the company added in its statement. “James apologises for any offence or upset caused, as he did at the time to the crew involved.”
“Following this and some issues filming James Martin’s Spanish Adventures, James and Blue Marlin Television agree that lessons have been learned which have been discussed with members of the team and with ITV.”
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