James Martin may be one of the most popular faces in the cooking world, but there's no denying, the celebrity chef has remained true to his roots.
Speaking on The Travel Diaries podcast, the 50-year-old - who fronts James Martin's Saturday Morning on ITV each week - has opened up about his humble beginnings and how he prefers to shun the celebrity lifestyle.
WATCH: All you need to know about James Martin
"We weren't a well-off family, we had nothing. We were properly grounded farmers, all hard grafters of work. That's kind of where I learned that ethos," he explained. "You appreciate nice things in terms of food and you appreciate how much work goes into the food on your table."
James, who hails from Malton, North Yorkshire, was raised on a farm and developed a love for cooking at a young age, learning from his mother and grandmother who were both keen cooks.
Asked how his loved ones feel about watching his career rise, James replied: "They still keep me grounded, they're still the same people. But you want that in life.
© Photo: ITVJames has spoken about his humble beginnings
"I don't want people around me telling me that you're amazing and all this rubbish. You're still the same as you were when you were a kid... My family have always been honest which you want.
"I have been able to share the success with them which is more important than anything I remember. Forget the cars, the greatest achievement was when I bought my mum a house. That's the greatest achievement I've ever done in my life."
"I wouldn't have dreamed about that when I was a kid, working in London and my mum used to visit me, crying her eyes out, saying, 'What were you thinking?' Because you're working 19 hours a day, she'd sit and cry her eyes out.
© Photo: InstagramThe celebrity chef is close to his mother
"You stick at it not because you want to do for financial reasons or because it's Instagrammable, it's because it's the job you've always loved."
His television career began in 1996 when he appeared as a guest chef on Ready Steady Cook. He has since gone on to host a number of popular cooking shows, including Saturday Kitchen, James Martin's American Adventure, and James Martin's Great British Adventure.
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