The chef, who was born and raised in Malton, made his name on the likes of Ready Steady Cook and The Big Breakfast, before taking over hosting BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen in 2006 – filmed live – and moving to ITV’s James Martin’s Saturday Morning in 2017.
Actors Will Mellor and Ralf Little joined the chef on his ITV programme last year, chatting about their current projects while tasting some of his dishes.
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Away from the studio setup, though, they were given an unexpected glimpse into life off‑camera for Mr Martin.
The episode was filmed at Mr Martin’s own home, and Mr Mellor recalled being struck straight away by how impressive the setting was, calling it a “lovely place”.
Instead of a typical waiting area, the pair found themselves in what the production team jokingly referred to as the green room.
James Martin
Rather than a plain backstage space, it held a pool table, an arcade machine, guitars, memorabilia, and an eye‑catching collection of cars, including a couple of Ferraris and an old Bentley.
One Ferrari in particular stood out.
According to Mr Mellor, the chef bought it for around £500,000, and it is now worth well millions of pounds.
The scale of the collection left both actors surprised, with Mr Mellor admitting he had only expected to see a TV chef, not a motoring enthusiast with a knack for investments.
Little, known for roles including Death In Paradise, described Mr Martin as “a great man”, while Mr Mellor called him “a really top guy” during an episode of their podcast, The Two Pints.
They both stressed that, despite the expensive surroundings, he never came across as boastful.
2006 – TV chef James Martin meets shoppers in Parliament Street, in the annual Food and Drink Festgival, during filming for a new show. Pic: Mike Tipping
Mr Little explained that the North Yorkshire chef only showed them around because they were clearly interested, and did so in a relaxed, unassuming way.
The pair also shared that Mr Martin spoke candidly about how he built his career.
He told them he arrived in London in the early 2000s with just £20 in his pocket and gradually worked his way up, backing himself, taking risks and investing carefully over the years.
By the end of the visit, Mr Mellor said he had “loads of time” for Mr Martin, praising him as good company and recalling that they all enjoyed some wine together.
James Martin’s Saturday Morning continues to air weekly at 9.30am on ITV and is also available on ITVX.