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James Martin has released a statement apologising for his behavior towards his TV crew after launching into an explosive rant during filming.
The celebrity chef, 51, who is at the centre of a bullying storm following allegations including intimidating staff on his food show James Martin’s Spanish Adventure, last night released a lengthy apology defending his actions during a 2018 incident.
In a heartfelt statement, James explained that he was under a lot of pressure at the time after being diagnosed with facial cancer, as well as the loss of his last remaining grandparent and a burglary at his home.
James described it as ‘one of the most difficult periods of his life’, following a culmination of the string of unfortunate events.
The abusive rant which happened during the production of his show, James Martin’s Saturday Morning, took place on a heated Zoom call in 2018 – the same year he had surgery for his cancer.
James Martin has released a statement apologising for his behavior towards his TV crew after launching into an explosive rant during filming (pictured June 2023)
The celebrity chef, 51, who is at the centre of a bullying storm following allegations including intimidating staff on his food show James Martin’s Spanish Adventure, last night released a lengthy apology defending his actions during a 2018 incident (pictured January 2022)
The television personality, who claims he apologised to the crew at the time, has now addressed the shocking recording which emerged on Thursday.
The statement read: ‘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.
Defending his rant, he said: ‘The end of 2017 was one of the most fraught and difficult periods of my life. I was dealing with the death of my last living grandparent, my grandfather, and on account of work commitments I could not attend his funeral.
‘Later that month I was burgled at night by a team of masked men, who entered my house while my partner Louise was at home alone and I was away working. I was devastated that she had to go through that alone.
‘On top of this 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.
James went on to say that the series of events left him feeling emotional and after discovering his home has been flooded he was pushed over the edge.
He said: ‘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.’
The moment James berated his crew in a foul-mouthed rant over damage to his £26,000 driveway was leaked online on Thursday.
In the audio recording released by The Sun, James swore 42 times and said his staff should be ‘f***ing fried’ and ordered them to take their lunch break standing in the ‘f***ing rain’.
He demanded that his team showed him and his house ‘more f***ing respect’, adding: ‘If not, you’re gone.’
In a heartfelt statement, James explained that he was under a lot of pressure at the time after being diagnosed with f acial cancer, as well as the loss of his last remaining grandparent and a flood at his home
Tough time: Martin (pictured in 2018) said before the abusive rant he was dealing with the death of his last living grandparent, his grandfather, and a cancer diagnosis
In the furious 10-minute tirade, Martin is upset over damage to his driveway caused by a blocked drain. Production Company Blue Marlin took responsibility for the 2018 incident.
In the audio, Martin said: ‘I am absolutely furious, beyond belief. It’s my home, it’s my house. It’s my f**ing house.
‘Nobody listens, nobody f**king listens, do they? I will not put up with this, this is b******s.
‘A driveway that cost me £26,000 is f**ked because somebody put a load of oil in the f**king bin that’s now dripped everywhere and f**king ruined my driveway.
‘If this was somebody’s house you would end up with a massive bill. People would get fired and rightly so, if this was working for Endemol your a**e would be f**king fried.
‘Show me and show my house more f**king respect – if not, you’re gone.’
James issued a stern warning as he told the crew on the call that if they hadn’t organised a plumber and a worker to tarmac the driveway by the next day, ‘somebody is going to get fired’.
The chef said he was fed up of being treated like a ‘f**king piece of s**t’.
He continued: ‘I bust my b******s off, there is nobody on that studio floor that works more than what I f**king do.
‘If you don’t like it, p**s off.
‘I’m not interested in paying people a f**king fortune and having to deal with a s**t aftermath afterwards.’
He told the production team they would have to prep the food for filming in a ‘little f**king van.’
‘You’re going to stand there in the f**king rain and get wet for lunch, that’s what going to happen, because you’re not having any of my chairs, f**k all,’ he said.
‘No equipment, no seats, no benches, no trestle tables, nothing. No plates, nothing.’
In a joint statement released, Martin and production company Blue Marlin said ‘lessons have been learned’ as they try to move on from the controversy.
A Blue Marlin spokesman said: ‘An unfortunate incident occurred after filming James Martin’s Saturday Morning in 2018 where James’ home was badly damaged.
‘Blue Marlin Television accepted responsibility. James was shocked by what had happened and on reflection acknowledges he responded emotionally, which he wholly regrets.
‘James apologises for any offence or upset caused, as he did at the time to the crew involved.’
Scandal: Phillip Schofield was also accused of ‘bullying’ co-workers. ITV has been mired in controversy since the This Morning host admitted lying about an affair with a male colleague
They added: ‘Following this and some issues filming James Martin’s Spanish Adventures, James and Blue Marlin Television agree that lessons have been learned which have been discussed with members of the team and with ITV.
‘Blue Marlin Television and James Martin have taken on board ITV’s recommendations and their sharing of best practice, and are in the process of fully implementing.
‘Since the 2018 incident, Blue Marlin Television has continued to film over 500 shows at James’ home.
‘Blue Marlin Television remains committed to ensuring the welfare of all those with whom they work is of the utmost priority.’
Martin has also faced allegations that he intimidated his crew – in the latest crisis to hit ITV.
The broadcaster told the chef to change his behaviour after receiving a complaint in May about his alleged conduct, according to a report.
Concerns were raised about the star’s treatment of crew during filming on James Martin’s Spanish Adventure, Deadline claims.
ITV declined to tell Deadline whether James had broken its Supplier Code of Conduct, which stipulates that shoots should be free from ‘harassment and abuse’ and people should be treated with ‘courtesy, dignity and respect’.
The allegations are the latest blow to ITV, which has been mired in controversy since This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield admitted lying to the Mail on Sunday about an affair with a younger male colleague.
Schofield, who was axed from the show, was also accused of ‘bullying’ co-workers – allegations for which ITV found no evidence.
An ITV spokesman said: ‘At ITV people and their welfare are our highest priority. The production companies who make shows for us have primary responsibility for the duty of care of everyone they work with, both on and off screen.
‘We make clear our expectations in this regard as part of our pre-greenlight duty of care processes. This includes having appropriate independent controls in place to enable everyone who works on their shows to confidently and confidentially raise concerns.’
The ITV spokesman continued: ‘Following a complaint we received in May from members of the Blue Marlin production team about the filming of James Martin’s Spanish Adventure, we contacted Blue Marlin to discuss these concerns and to understand how the issues raised were being addressed and what actions were being taken.
‘As a result, we made a number of recommendations for Blue Marlin to implement as soon as possible, sharing best practice of some of our own relevant procedures around staff welfare and reiterating our Supplier Code of Conduct.’
