TV chef James Martin, has opened up about the immense “stress” he faced following his unexpected facial cancer diagnosis in 2018. In a statement, he addressed the recent leak of audio capturing a heated dispute with his ITV production team during the same period.
The 51 year old Chef faced allegations of ‘bullying and intimidating behaviour’ from crew members on an ITV show. Leaked audio showed him berating workers during a heated rant at his home, including 42 instances of swearing in just one minute. The incident reportedly occurred while filming for “James Martin’s Saturday Morning” in 2018, and complaints about his conduct on “James Martin’s Spanish Adventure” sparked an internal investigation by ITV.
ITV released a statement regarding their commitment to the welfare of everyone involved in their shows and the actions taken to address the concerns raised. The production company, Blue Marlin, also accepted responsibility for the incident in 2018, acknowledging James’ emotional response and expressing regrets for any offense or upset caused.
Taking to Instagram, James issued an apology to the crew involved in the incident, explaining that he has always strived to keep his private life private. However, since a conversation from January 2018 was recorded secretly and made public by a former member of the production team five years later, he felt compelled to make a statement.
He described the end of 2017 as one of the most difficult periods of his life. He was mourning the death of his last living grandparent, who he couldn’t attend the funeral of due to work commitments. Moreover, his house was burgled by masked men while his partner, Louise, was home alone, leaving him devastated that she had to go through it alone.
Adding to his challenges, James revealed that he had to undergo surgery for facial cancer just two days before Christmas, after they finished filming. Unfortunately, the cancer returned on several occasions, necessitating regular treatments.
The chef shared that all this stress had left him in a highly emotional state, and the flood damage to his home while filming in early January 2018 only exacerbated his upset. He acknowledged that he may have overreacted due to the buildup of personal life pressure.
