James Martin's life - 'doomed' love, rarely-seen partner and 'regret' over kids

14 October 2023 , 07:30

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James and Louise live together in his lavish Hampshire mansion (Image: Can Nguyen/REX/Shutterstock)

British television chef James Martin is best known for his hit cooking shows with the BBC and ITV, having presented Saturday Kitchen for a decade, as well as penning successful cookbooks and opening numerous restaurants and bakeries during his successful career.

The 51-year-old Yorkshireman is a hugely popular star, but has been forced to face serious allegations of 'bullying and intimidating staff' in recent months, regarding his alleged behaviour on his ITV show James Martin's Spanish Adventure in 2018. he apologised for any 'offence or upset' caused. He then announced he had been battling cancer on his face over the last few years, and was still receiving treatment.

From dating Hollywood royalty to making the decision not to have kids, there is much that fans mightn't know about his life away from the cameras. Here, we take a look at the highs and lows James has had on the quest for love.

Dating A-list Hollywood star

He previously dated Hollywood royalty Barbara Broccoli (Mike Marsland/WireImage)

James has shared his regret over talking about the relationship publicly (Dave Benett/Getty Images for For)

The chef previously dated James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, who is worth a reported $400 million (£325 million), and the couple were together for five years after she 'won' him at a celebrity auction in 2001. She bid £18,000 to have James cook a dinner party at her home, and in his autobiography Driven, he said they "just clicked".

Barbara, who is 12 years older than James, showered him with lavish gifts, including three original Picasso paintings, and left the chef star struck when she introduced him to her A-list pals such as Nicole Kidman and Halle Berry. But just five years later, James knew his romance with the filmmaker was doomed when she offered to buy him a £180,000 Aston Martin.

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"It wasn't as if it was my birthday or Christmas – it was just a spur of the moment thought," he explained. "It was a defining moment in our relationship. Deep down, I knew there was always going to be an imbalance," he added. Looking back on their relationship he said breaking up with Barbara might have been "the daftest thing I have done in my life", and he regretted talking publicly about their romance. "It was a big mistake. I stupidly didn't listen to people, but I won't be doing that again," James shared.

Falling in love again

James has been dating TV producer Louise Davies since meeting her in 2011 on the set of the ITV show Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Despite dating for over a decade, little is known about their romance. He vowed to keep his love life out of the public eye following his break-up with Barbara Broccoli, and has mentioned Louise a handful of times. The couple live together in his lavish Hampshire mansion, and during an appearance on Good Morning Britain in 2017, James said he was "happy for the first time in my life".

However, he insisted he won't ever be walking down the aisle to exchange vows with Louise. He said he was "not interested" in getting married and was "quite happy" without a ring on his finger after catering hundreds of ceremonies over the years. "I don't need to spend 60 grand on a day, no, I'm more than happy thanks," James told the Sunday People.

Missing out on having kids

James has been in a relationship with Louise since 2011 and is not interested in getting married (Alan Davidson/REX/Shutterstock)

The TV chef has ruled out having kids as he's too committed to his career. In an unearthed interview, the Yorkshireman said the real reason he and Louise haven't started a family was because he was "so focused on work", and it was the "biggest low" missing out on being a dad.

"The biggest low of my career is that I've given up everything for it," he told Prima magazine back in 2020. But James has no regrets, even though his friends are "all married with kids", as he acknowledged just how hard being a parent is. "The level of commitment it requires and the choices you have to make have a huge impact," he admitted.

Despite his regrets, he confessed he'd make the same choice again, as he's proud of the career and hugely successful restaurant empire he's built. "But would I do the same thing again? Probably, because it's made me who I am," James stated. He also joked his luxury cars, including a Chevrolet Corvette and a 1948 Maserati, were his 'babies'. "My mates come round to my house and they look into my garage and I go, 'These are my babies, these are my things,' but you know, it's each to their own, isn't it?" he quipped.

Emma Wilson