James Martin is one of the UK's most beloved celebrity chefs, often sharing wholesome and hearty recipes with fans. But it's no surprise that healthy eating is also on his mind – something that has no doubt played a significant role in maintaining his recent weight loss and his wellbeing.
In a new exclusive interview with HELLO!, the 51-year-old touched upon his healthy lifestyle, what he likes to do to unwind and how his Hampshire home is definitely his forever home.
© Shutterstock"I'm taking care of my diet more these days and eating regularly," he told us, adding that "walking my dogs, fishing and working in my garden" helps him to relax.
As well as fronting his weekend show, James Martin's Saturday Morning, the 51-year-old has various other achievements to his name, including appearing in various TV series, owning two restaurants, taking part in nationwide tours and writing numerous cookbooks.
Asked whether he would ever consider living abroad, James confessed that his glorious Hampshire home with his girlfriend Louise Davies will always be his permanent home.
"It's true I've been all over, but fields of Hampshire and England call me back," he explained. "I'm very happy where I am, my neighbours are great, it is a beautiful part of the world and I have no plans to move. If I get restless I get in my motorhome and off I go."
James has been on the road once again, exploring more local cuisines, this time in Spain, a country rich in culinary history and culture. From Extremadura to San Sebastian, via the Balearics, the star chef has been discovering the country's diverse regions through food and has shared his favourite dishes in his new book, James Martin's Spanish Adventure.
"I love Spain, but had always wanted to spend more time there," he revealed. "Also St James is the patron saint of Spain, Galicia and Santiago de Compostela."
The Ready Steady Cook chef explained how is inspired by fine dining, rustic eateries, fresh ingredients and traditional recipes of Spain, and in the book, he has discovered his own take on local dishes to create stunning recipes for the home cook.
SEE: 10 rare photos of James Martin with his gorgeous girlfriend Louise
"The recipes were specifically created for ingredients we found whilst we were travelling," he added. However, something as simple as tomatoes on toast is his favourite recipe. "Grilled tomatoes on toast," James divulged. "It's very simple and very tasty. And the barbecued leeks with lardons and hazelnuts."
On how he juggles so much, with a weekly show, restaurants, books, and other appearances, James revealed he has no plans to hang up his boots any time soon. "I've got no plans as yet to do that and I'm looking at new projects all the time," he said, but "some more relaxation might be great!"
Despite appearing on Strictly Come Dancing, James will not be taking the plunge with any more reality TV." I've no plans at the moment," he said. "The Saturday Show and The Adventures keep me pretty busy."
Earlier this year, James found himself making headlines over the treatment of his TV crew – something for which he apologised. On dealing with any negativity on social media, James said: "People are generally kind and social media should be used to keep us all connected in the best ways possible."
Looking ahead to next year, he remarked: "The year has flown by with lots of work, a new book, a new restaurant and I travelled a lot. World peace has to be my hope for 2024."
James Martin's Spanish Adventure by James Martin will be published by Quadrille on 26 October.
