One Of The Best TV Chefs Accused Of Disturbing On-Set Behavior
Deadline is reporting that UK chef and TV personality James Martin is being accused of bullying and intimidating behavior on set. According to sources, the broadcasting network ITV has addressed the issue by telling Martin to change his behavior after a complaint was lodged in May about his conduct. The concerns were specifically raised on the set of Martin’s ITV travel cooking show James Martin’s Spanish Adventure.
Allegedly, this isn’t the first time that Martin has been accused of this type of conduct, as a complaint was lodged to ITV in a separate incident back in 2018.
The incident reportedly happened during production on the James Martin’s Saturday Morning show, where Martin berated staff in an explicit rant after a drain was blocked in his home. The report notes that ITV was made aware of the incident through informal channels, but the broadcaster has no official record, unlike the recent incident in May.
ITV commented on the allegations against James Martin to Deadline, mentioning that the welfare of the production’s staff is its “highest priority” and that they notified Martin’s Blue Marlin Television production company to implement best practices and update their policies.
James Martin has not denied the bullying allegations and has since released a joint statement with Blue Marlin Television saying that “lessons have been learned.”
ITV did not mention if Martin had breached its Supplier Code of Conduct, which states that shoots should be free of harassment and abuse. Martin has not denied the bullying allegations and has since released a joint statement with Blue Marlin Television saying that “lessons have been learned.”
James Martin co-founded Blue Marlin Television with Fiona Lindsay, with both acting as the company’s joint managing directors. In addition to the above statement, Martin and Lindsay mentioned that they were in the “process of fully implementing” ITV’s recommendations and best practices.
Blue Marlin Television also took responsibility for the damage done to Martin’s home and garden in the 2018 incident, with the company and Martin saying his becoming angry is something they “wholly regret.”
James Martin’s Cooking Career
James Martin has had an extensive on-screen career, including a ten-year gig on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen before making the move to ITV in 2017. His Spanish Adventure show saw the chef traveling to different parts of the US, Spain, and France to cook, meet people, and highlight different cuisines. The 20-episode series is set to hit screens later this year during the Fall 2023 TV season.
The reported on-set allegations against James Martin during the production of Spanish Adventure include berating people, reducing them to tears in front of other colleagues, and changing schedules at the last minute, giving his team just a few hours of sleep before the following morning’s shoot.
James Martin has had an extensive on-screen career, including a ten-year gig on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen
The report also mentioned that he arrived an hour late to the filming after making the schedule changes. Deadline also spoke to individuals that worked with Martin before Spanish Adventure, and they indicated his behavior “represents a pattern.”
Allegedly, the tirade in 2018 wasn’t the only thing that caused the crew to file a complaint about the working conditions of James Martin’s Saturday Morning. The sources say that a formal complaint was lodged to Martin and Lindsay that brought up concerns about “repeated incidents of inappropriate, intimidating and bullying behavior.” It remains to be seen if this alleged behavior is curbed in light of these recent complaints.
