James Martin could be axed by ITV, according to reports (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
James Martin could reportedly be axed by ITV, after allegations have emerged over bullying, for which he has since apologised.
The 51-year-old issued a statement apologising for ‘upsetting or causing offence’ after he was accused of exhibiting bullying and intimidating behaviour while filming an ITV programme.
He later issued another apology, citing personal life pressures including a shock cancer diagnosis, the death of his last surviving grandparent, and a home burglary as building up to his ‘very emotional state’ when his home was ‘flooded’ while filming due to a blocked drain.
‘I can only say I am human and following a build-up of personal life pressure, I admit I overreacted regarding the damage to my home,’ he said.
Martin agreed ‘lessons have been learned’, after an incident from 2018 came to light in which it was claimed the presenter ‘launched a foul-mouthed tirade against staff’ when a drain in his home became blocked.
Since his apology, the expletive moment he scolded staff over the incident has been ‘leaked’ with the presenter heard swearing 42 times in a 10 minute rant.
The expletive moment he scolded staff over the incident has been ‘leaked’ (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Sources have now claimed James Martin’s Saturday Morning programme could be axed by ITV and that senior bosses are reportedly furious over the allegations.
An insider told the Daily Mail: ‘There have been many allegations made against James now… while there is one series to be made under contract, there is nothing else in the pipeline and there is some strong lobbying taking place that he shouldn’t be signed up again.’
On Friday, the incident in question was leaked with an audio clip obtained by The Sun, in which Martin scolded his team, telling them they should be ‘f***ing fried’ and punishing them by ordering they take their lunch breaks in the ‘f***ing rain.’
‘Show me and show my house more f**king respect – if not, you’re gone,’ he is heard saying after the drain damage.
He continued: ‘Senior members of our staff will get f**king fired because I‘m sick of it. I’m sick of being treated like a f**king piece of sh*t.’
James Martin’s rant, as per leaked audio obtained by The Sun:
‘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*llocks.
‘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 arse would be f**king fried.
‘Show me and show my house more f**king respect – if not, you’re gone.
‘But if I haven’t got a plumber round at my house to give me a quote and a guy to tarmac by tomorrow, somebody is going to get fired.
‘Senior members of our staff will get f**king fired because I‘m sick of it. I’m sick of being treated like a f**king piece of sh*t.
‘Get in first thing in the morning, last thing at night, first there, last to go, I’m sick of it.
‘I do it because I’m 100 per cent professional so everybody else do the f**king same.
‘I bust my boll**ks off, there is nobody on that studio floor that works more than what I f**king do.
‘If you don’t like it, p*ss off.
‘I’m not interested in paying people a f**king fortune and having to deal with a sh*t aftermath afterward.
‘Don’t even f**king think about bringing an articulated truck and dumping a Portakabin in my house.
‘I’ll tell you what’s going to happen. You’re going to prep it up [the food, for filming] in a pissy 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.
‘No equipment, no seats, no benches, no trestle tables, nothing. No plates, nothing.’
Martin has issued an apology over the incident (Picture: S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
On Thursday, Martin addressed the recording and said on his social media he felt compelled to make a statement about the incident after ‘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.’
In a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, he said: ‘I would like to publicly and sincerely apologise to the crew involved in this incident, as I did at the time.’
He described the end of 2017 as ‘one of the most fraught and difficult periods of my life’ because he had been dealing with his grandfather’s death and a home burglary.
‘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,’ he added.
‘Since then it has returned on several occasions and I have to have regular treatments.’
He described the end of 2017, the time around which the incident occured, as ‘one of the most fraught and difficult periods of my life’ (Picture: Rex)
James Martin’s apology in full:
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.
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.
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 TV chef previously addressed the outburst in a joint statement shared with Metro.co.uk with production company Blue Marlin, which explained that his home had been ‘badly damaged’ during filming.
It said Blue Marlin accepted responsibility but Martin was ‘shocked by what had happened and on reflection acknowledges he responded emotionally, which he wholly regrets.’
The statement continued: ‘James apologises for any offence or upset caused, as he did at the time to the crew involved.
‘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.’
They added that Martin and the production company were implementing ITV’s recommendations and best practice policies and remain ‘committed to ensuring the welfare of all those with whom they work is of the utmost priority.’
An ITV spokesperson said the broadcaster contacted Blue Marlin after receiving a complaint in May from members of the production team of James Martin’s Spanish Adventure.
They said that after discussing how the issues were being dealt with, ITV made recommendations to Blue Marlin including ‘sharing best practice of some of our own relevant procedures around staff welfare and reiterating our supplier code of conduct.’
The statement added: ‘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-green-light 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.’
Martin used to present BBC’s Saturday Kitchen from 2006 to 2016, before moving to ITV and has been presenting Saturday Morning with James Martin since 2017.
Metro.co.uk has approached ITV for comment.
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This comes after the expletive-filled rant was leaked.
