A popular TV farmer is reportedly being poached by ITV to front a new show on the channel after James Martin announced he was taking a break.
The Saturday Kitchen star, 51, revealed in July this year, amid an apology after accusations of exhibiting bullying and intimidating behaviour while filming an ITV programme, that he had been diagnosed with facial cancer.
Martin, who also appears on This Morning, underwent surgery in 2018 after the diagnosis, before it returned on ‘several occasions’ for which he has ‘regular treatments’, and has now said he will be taking a break but will ‘be back fighting’ in a few months.
It’s now been claimed that in the meantime, ITV are launching a new cooking show with Jimmy Doherty.
The 48-year-old TV presenter has fronted Jimmy’s Farm on Channel 4, appeared alongside Jamie Oliver in various shows, and starred on the BBC’s Jimmy’s Food Factory.
But now, according to The Sun, ITV are reportedly launching Jimmy’s Taste of Florida, which is said to air in February 2024.
Earlier this week, Martin revealed he was taking a career break, and shared an update on his cancer treatment.
Speaking at his tour show at the Philharmonic Hall on Monday, he said, according to The Mirror: ‘For me personally, I’ve been through a lot of s**t with cancer but I’m getting sorted at the end of next month.
‘I will be back fighting at the end of February but I’m going on a little bit of a break to get that sorted.
‘I just wanted to say thank you for all your support and all your messages.’
Martin revealed his diagnosis earlier this year, saying: ‘I was then diagnosed with cancer on my face and I had to have surgery, which I couldn’t do until two days before Christmas when we had finished filming.
‘Since then it has returned on several occasions and I have to have regular treatments.’
His comments came amid an apology he issued, after an incident from 2018 came to light, as reports emerged in July accusing the This Morning guest of exhibiting bullying and intimidating behaviour while filming an ITV programme.
Shortly afterwards, he issued a statement saying he was ‘shocked by what had happened and on reflection acknowledges he responded emotionally, which he wholly regrets.’
He later apologised, telling The Sun: ‘Firstly, I would like to publicly and sincerely apologise to the crew involved in this incident, as I did at the time.
‘I have always strived to keep my private life private. However since details of a conversation, which was secretly recorded in January 2018, are now five years later being made public by a former member of our production team, I have decided to make a statement.’
Martin stated that the year before the incident occurred was ‘one of the most fraught and difficult periods of my life’, after the death of his last living grandparent, his home being burgled and the cancer diagnosis.’
‘After all this stress I was in a very emotional state, and when after filming in early January 2018 I discovered my home had been flooded while filming, I was extremely upset.
‘I can only say I am human and following a build-up of personal life pressure, I admit that I overreacted regarding the damage to my home.’
Metro.co.uk has reached out to ITV for comment.
Saturday Kitchen airs tomorrow at 9.15am on BBC One.
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