James Martin: TV chef reveals cancer diagnosis after being warned ...

James Martin, pictured in 2021, described late 2017 as "one of the most fraught and difficult periods of my life"

By Paul Glynn

Entertainment reporter

TV chef James Martin has revealed he was diagnosed with facial cancer several years ago.

It follows reports the presenter was asked to change his behaviour at work after ITV received complaints about his treatment of production staff.

In a series of tweets, he described the end of 2017 as "one of the most fraught and difficult periods of my life".

He added he would like to "apologise to the crew involved in this incident, as I did at the time."

During the production of James Martin's Saturday Morning in 2018, the star became angry after a drain was blocked at his home, where the programme was being filmed.

In a joint statement earlier this week, the 51-year-old and production company Blue Marlin - which took responsibility for the damage - said they "agree lessons have been learned".

In a new statement posted on Twitter, Martin explained that around the time of the drain incident, he had been dealing with his grandfather's death and a home burglary.

He also received his cancer diagnosis, which he added "has returned on several occasions" following surgery, requiring "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," he wrote.

"I can only say I am human and following a build-up of personal life pressure."

He added: "I admit that I overreacted regarding the damage to my home."

Reports of his mistreatment of production staff came to light earlier this week after a fresh complaint was made to ITV regarding his behaviour on another recent show.

Martin has been "accused of berating people" and "reducing them to tears in front of other colleagues", according to US publication Deadline, while filming the Spanish Adventure programme in May.

An ITV spokesman previously said "people and their welfare" was their "highest priority".

"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."

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