Marriage and kids? Not for me, says chef Martin
THEY have been dating for seven years and he has said he ‘couldn’t live without her’.
If James Martin’s girlfriend is hoping for a fairytale ending, however, she had better find a different TV chef.
Martin, who became an unlikely heartthrob hosting the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, has revealed that he never wants to have a baby or get married.
Asked if starting a family is something he’d like to do, the 46-year-old said: ‘No.
‘I go round to my mate’s house, who has four kids, and realise that I don’t want them after about two minutes. Kids are great, but it’s just no, not for me. You sacrifice so much in this work and the job and everything else. Never, no.’
In an interview, Martin was more enthusiastic about his collection of cars – he owns a 1948 Maserati, a vintage Chevrolet Corvette, a Lotus 340R and two retired Formula One cars.
‘My mates come round and they look into my garage and I go, “These are my babies, these are my things”, but you know, it’s each to their own, isn’t it?’ he said.
The chef, who lives with his PA girlfriend Louise Davies in a mansion in Hampshire, also maintained he would like nothing less than to splurge on a wedding.
He told the Sunday People magazine: ‘No, it doesn’t interest me in the slightest, mainly because I’ve catered for so many weddings, really. I admire people who do it, that’s fine, but I’m quite happy. I don’t need to spend £60,000 on a day, no, I’m more than happy, thanks.’
Martin, who did not reveal he was dating Miss Davies until they had been together for six years, said in 2017 that he was ‘happy for the first time in my life’. The couple, who have a shih-tzu dog called Ralph, met on the set of Celebrity Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
Martin previously dated Barbara Broccoli, the producer of the James Bond films, who is 12 years older than him. They were together for four-and-a-half years, during which time Miss Broccoli showered Martin with gifts, which included an original Picasso.
He had also dated Sally Kettle, who was Miss England in 2001, actress Claire Goose and interior designer Julia Dempster.
Earlier this year the chef, who now presents James Martin’s Saturday Morning on ITV, told the Daily Mail he had lost weight after watching his own programme. ‘I’ve lost a stone-ish,’ he said. ‘I just think it’s a lifestyle thing and also looking at yourself on TV.’
Martin, who once weighed 19st 7lb, added: ‘You get critical of yourself. You kind of watch and go, “Oh God, there’s a bit of a chin happening there”.’