James Martin surprised his Instagram followers on Tuesday after sharing a rare throwback photo from his childhood. The cute picture shows the celebrity chef - then aged ten - posing inside a restaurant's kitchen when he first started out as a kitchen porter. Alongside the snap, he wrote: "Old picture of a long time ago but the start of my journey to the kitchen. KP for a job from 10 years old until I got my first white jacket and apron... great memories."
His fans immediately posted lovely comments, many crediting the TV star for his success. "Bless you James now look where you are in life - brilliant chef xx," wrote one follower, while another said: "You have come a long way, fantastic." A third fan heaped praise on KP's, saying: "KP's are so important in any kitchen. It's not the nicest job to do in the world, but it's so vital to help a business run smoothly. We have three KP's at the hotel I work at, so I always make an effort to chat to them and make them a drink, as they often won't get chance to make one themselves." A fourth post read: "Awww so sweet and innocent but the same smile! You're proof of what hard work can achieve James."
READ: James Martin's weight loss journey revealed
James, 47, is one of the UK's most beloved TV chefs, starting his on-screen career on Ready Steady Cook and The Big Breakfast. He then went on to front BBC show Saturday Kitchen from 2006 to 2016 before landing a spot on ITV's Saturday Morning with James Martin. James previously admitted that he doesn't tend to watch himself on TV because he gets "self-conscious".
MORE: James Martin reveals personal life sacrifices as a chef
The celebrity chef also confessed that he has cut back on his workload over the past year after witnessing a traumatic event abroad. James – who decided to quit his presenting role on Saturday Kitchen in 2016 – revealed on Loose Women that he had chosen to assess his work-life balance after witnessing a man fall to his sudden death. "Work was fundamental," he said. "But I was doing a gig abroad and I was chatting to a gentleman the same age as me with a similar work ethic, really keen on work. He went on stage literally five minutes after I spoke to him to do an awards ceremony and he died before he hit the floor." The presenter continued: "Just all of us were in total shock, and I got back on the plane and thought, 'Now I'm going to re-address the balance.'"
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