Matt Tebbutt has finally set the record straight on rumours of a rift between him and fellow chefs James Martin and Marcus Wareing. The Saturday Kitchen host, 51, dismissed speculation of a rivalry, insisting that the food industry is "too small" for genuine feuds.
Since taking over Saturday Kitchen in 2017, Matt has often been compared to James, who left the BBC show to front James Martin's Saturday Morning on ITV. With both chefs hosting competing Saturday morning programmes, fans have long assumed there is tension between them.
'We do similar shows, but there's no rivalry'
© BBCDespite years of speculation, Matt insists there is no bad blood between him and James. Speaking in a new interview, he clarified: "Not really, no, we do sort of similar shows on different channels."
He continued: "I know James very well, we've done food festivals and stuff like that. He's got his audience and I've got mine, sometimes they cross over but it all seems to flow quite nicely."
For Matt, the idea of competition in the food industry isn't something he takes seriously. "There are very few people who are actual rivals," he explained.
On-screen banter with Marcus Wareing
© ShutterstockMatt also addressed claims of tension between him and MasterChef: The Professionals judge Marcus Wareing. Viewers recently speculated about their relationship after watching them exchange playful jabs during Saturday Kitchen.
Fans took to social media to question whether the two chefs actually disliked each other, after a segment filled with teasing remarks. However, Matt insists it's all in good humour.
"People make comments about each other, it's sort of just gentle ribbing I guess, but no, on the whole, everyone gets on well," he said.
He added that much of the banter revolves around Marcus's smallholding, which he often jokes about. "I always make some comment about [Marcus'] smallholding, which is hardly a smallholding – he has a beautiful place in the countryside."
Why Matt didn't ask James Martin for advice
© ShutterstockMatt also opened up about why he didn't seek James' advice when he took over Saturday Kitchen. In 2019, he admitted that stepping into the role was "terrifying," but he decided to approach it with a sense of naivety.
"I didn't speak to him," he confessed. "I think it's sometimes better off to go naively into these things."
He continued: "That's often a good thing if you go into things and you don't really know what is going to happen, you just handle it as it goes. If you know all the facts, I think you might be a little bit daunted."
Matt's comments make it clear that while fans may enjoy speculating about feuds in the culinary world, the reality is far less dramatic.
James Martin's Saturday Morning airs today at 9.30am on ITV and ITVX, while Saturday Kitchen airs at 10am on BBC One.
