James Martin has opened up about his physical appearance, admitting that his weight has always been "a big issue". As he was interviewed on Loose Women, the celebrity chef was asked whether his mother was critical of his looks when she tuned in to watch his shows. "100 per cent, hence I'm wearing a jacket!" James told the panellists. "And what about weight?" Janet Street-Porter asked.
"Weight is quite a big issue," James replied, before quipping: "Now she's got a big TV. It never used to be a problem when she had a little TV. It's all relative. HD is horrific. I've never been a little lad. I'm 6ft 4 and 18 stone. That's the way I am." As throwback photos from the start of James' career in the seventies flashed up on screen, James admitted: "I was a bit thinner."
"Weight is quite a big issue," James admitted
The former Saturday Kitchen star has previously spoken about his weight loss journey, admitting he decided to shed the pounds after feeling self-conscious. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: "I've lost a stone-ish. I just think it's a lifestyle thing and also looking at yourself on TV. You kind of watch and go, 'Oh God there's a bit of chin happening there'. And everybody's TVs are bigger now. Before you used to watch TV on a small one and now they're massive."
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"I've never been a little lad," he continued
James is best known for presenting James Martin's Great British Adventure, but the show landed him in hot water last month while presenting a segment on Wales. The TV star was exploring Wales' foodie highlights when he mistakenly called the country a "principality" – a term that has not been used for Wales since the 16th century. Then, when he spoke about the county of Pembrokeshire in a voiceover, the map on screen showed a much larger area that extended past Pembrokeshire.
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"I have been made aware of a problem with the map and voiceover script to an 18-second clip on yesterday's show," James tweeted. "It was a genuine mistake and one that will be rectified. I apologise for this error and for any offence caused, but some of the abuse online aimed at me is vastly uncalled for given my love for Wales and the whole of the UK and all it has to offer."
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