Celebrity chef James Martin admits “it was the right time for me” as he opens up about his Saturday Kitchen exit. The 53-year-old rose to fame appearing on shows such as Ready Steady Cook and the Big Breakfast before landing the Saturday Kitchen role in 2006.

However after a decade on the show James decided to walk away from the BBC, launching James Martin’s Saturday Morning on ITV One. Now in its ninth series, the pre-recorded show sees James welcoming a flurry of chefs and celebrities into his Hampshire home.

James has previously revealed that he wanted a better work-life balance ahead of switching broadcasters. He felt the move also offered a chance to “reset”.

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Now, speaking to Woman’s Way magazine, James says he knew it was the right time to leave Saturday Kitchen. He said: “I didn’t think I’d be doing [Saturday morning telly] for 20 years - put it that way.

“Leaving the BBC after 10 years was a big decision, giving up that show, but it was the right time for me.”

James says filming Saturday Morning from a specially designed kitchen at his own home has a “different vibe”. He says it offers a “more relaxed” chance to speak to the celebrity guests and marks a “different chapter” in his career.

The chef previously revealed he found himself “dragged” into television while working at the Hotel Du Vin. James became head chef at the luxurious venue when he was just 22 years old.

Speaking at the Game Fair 2024, James said: “Television, I got dragged into it with the Hotel du Vin and I got dragged into it even more with the BBC and I think, having a reset, and by leaving that and resetting and going to ITV…

“ITV were the first people in 30 years who said, ‘What do you want to do?’ And that’s when I sat in a meeting and said, ‘Look, I’d love to go back to where I used to work in France’.”

Since moving to ITV James has presented a host of travel shows that have seen him travelling to the likes of Spain, the Scottish Highlands, and the United States. He even managed to retrace his early career in James Martin’s French Adventure.

And while he has become a mainstay on television, James admits he refuses to watch himself. Speaking to Irish News, he said: “I’ve never watched myself in 34 years of doing it. I can’t watch it, I just can’t – it’s really weird.

“I was always taught, if you’re going to watch yourself, you’ll change. I don’t really want to do that.”

James Martin’s Saturday Morning returns on ITV One at 9.30am. This week James will be speaking with cycling legend Mark Cavendish while chefs Lesley Waters and Ashley Palmer-Watts and baker Richard Bertinet will be welcomed into the studio.