James Martin looks besotted as he spends his birthday with unexpected companion

James Martin celebrated his 51st birthday on Friday – and he couldn't have looked happier with his date for the evening. 

The Saturday Kitchen Live star took to Instagram to reveal his birthday plans, but instead of a wild night out with friends and his girlfriend, TV producer Louise Davies, James opted for a quiet night in with his beloved pet dog, Ralph. 

The celebrity chef shared an adorable photo of the Lhasa Apso resting on his chest as he lay down on his back in his garden. Ralph appeared to be gazing down at his owner, while James looked besotted with the pooch and wrapped his arms around him. 

Captioning the photo, James penned: "Spending the evening home with this dude!" His followers loved the sweet image, with one responding: "The look of love." A second said: "He loves his Daddy," and a third added: "Well, don't you both look at peace." 

© Instagram

Of course, it's more than likely that James' girlfriend of 12 years, Louise was also home as they live together in Hampshire alongside their other beloved dog, Cooper. James previously shared the surprising story behind how he came to own Ralph, admitting that the fluffy pooch was a bit of an accidental purchase. 

"I have two dogs – a working cocker spaniel called Cooper, and a little Lhasa Apso called Ralph that I bought [expletive] from the pet store at Harrods one lunchtime," he told the Daily Star in 2019. 

© Getty

James explained: "It was a boozy working lunch, the day before Saturday Kitchen, and I had been celebrating. I ended up on the top floor of Harrods thinking I was going to buy a new pair of shoes, but I ended up in the wrong department and saw these two little dogs. One of them was really looking at me and I thought, 'He's pretty cool', so I bought him."

James dotes on his dogs, and often shares sweet photographs of them on his social media accounts. He recently also spoke of his unbreakable bond with his pet dog, Cooper.

© Alan Davidson/REX/Shutterstock

"Cooper has been in training with Jason Mayhew for five years," he explained. "I've always been fascinated by man's ability to train dogs. When I was a young kid, there was a gamekeeper in my village who used to look after the Castle Howard estate, and he had an immaculately trained gundog called Jett. 

"I was always so impressed by him. He would just sit there, without a lead and just wait for his owner to return." 

© Sue Worrall

Speaking about his bond with Cooper, James added: "Now I finally understand what it takes for that bond to happen. I love picking up on local shoots with Cooper. His special move is a 400-yard blind retrieve. 

"He'll also sit on a riverbank all day long watching me bother fish. He's everything I ever wanted from a dog. Last year we took part in ITV's The Pet Show which saw Cooper compete in an agility course, and he is still top of the leaderboard."