James Martin recounts part of Saturday Kitchen that left him 'scarred for life'

Celebrity chef James Martin joked that his stint on BBC One's Saturday Kitchen has left him "scarred for life" as he spoke about his former programme while hosting ITV's James Martin's Saturday Morning with guests Lorraine Kelly and ex-Wet Wet Wet singer Marti Pellow. In the concluding part of the episode, Martin was seen whipping up an Arnold Bennett omelette with chef Andres Alamany for fellow cook Dipna Anand.

During the process, the 52-year-old cook revealed what he considered the worst aspect of working on his previous BBC show. As he started he said: "I feel like this is the only time I'm ever going to do an omelette and I spent 10 years, on another show, just doing omelettes." He added: "It's left me scarred for life has that damn omelette thing!"

Further poking fun at the relaxed atmosphere in comparison to his old gig, he said: "But I'm not going to rush, there is no timer on this one", highlighting the absence of a ticking countdown, reports Birmingham Live.

Martin's tenure as host of Saturday Kitchen on the BBC ended in 2016 when he decided to step down. He reflected during a guest appearance on Loose Women about an incident that led him to reevaluate his commitments and exit the well-known cooking series.

He recounted a harrowing experience where he spoke to a man who shared his dedication to work at an overseas event. "Work was fundamental. But I was doing a gig abroad and I was chatting to a gentleman the same age as me with a similar work ethic, really keen on work."

The conversation took a tragic turn when the man suddenly passed away shortly after. "He went on stage literally five minutes after I spoke to him to do an awards ceremony and he died before he hit the floor." This startling incident prompted James to reconsider his priorities.

"Just all of us were in total shock, and I got back on the plane and thought: 'Now I'm going to re-address the balance.' That was over a year ago." James acknowledged his relentless work schedule had left little time for rest. "And I looked back at all the work I'd done. I'd had four days off that year and five days off the year before."

This epiphany was a contributing factor to his departure from Saturday Kitchen. "That's when I realised things would have to change. It's partly the reason I gave up Saturday Kitchen."