James Martin Didn’t Think His Saturday Kitchen Exit ‘Would Be Such A Big Deal’

James Martin has explained the real reason he decided to leave his role at the helm of Saturday Kitchen, denying the various rumours that budgets cuts or omelettes were behind his decision to bow out.

James left the show in March, with guest presenters, including Lorraine Pascale and Michel Roux Jr, stepping in while a permanent replacement is found.

Copyright [BBC]

Admitting that he didn’t think his departure would be ‘such a big deal’, James jokingly compared his exit to One Direction’s hiatus, telling The Mirror: “I genuinely said to my agent, ‘Stick it out there, but no one will be bothered,’ and next minute it was all over the papers. It was like One Direction splitting up.”

Clearing up the various rumours, he said: “I didn’t leave because we didn’t have a sink, or because of Top Gear, or budget cuts. All these rumours!

“I left because 10 years is a long time. That’s every Friday and Saturday you’re giving up. I had to be in bed by 9pm and up at 3am. It’s a tough show: there’s a lot of content and when that red light comes on it’s just you, cooking and interviewing, with 26 people waffling in your ear.

Copyright [BBC]

“Omelettes – that’s another rumour! There was nothing in my contract about not making omelettes in public.

“There was a clause saying I couldn’t skydive (I wasn’t going to) or bungy jump (come on: I’m 17 stone). Omelettes was just something I said I didn’t want to do.”

James spent his first Saturday off walking the dog, and the next on his first (very well-deserved) holiday in seven years.