James Martin’s biggest on-air clashes – from ‘controversial’ spat with expert to argument over clothing

TV chef James Martin is no stranger to working in high pressure environments, but sometimes things can get a little hot under the collar.

His Saturday Morning show received numerous complaints after he chose to use a relatively niche ingredient. He brushed that off as a trifling thing.

And a life in the kitchen has taken its toll on his physical health. In his words, he’s “not 22 any more”.

Here’s a collection of his more awkward TV exchanges…

James Martin had some fashion advice for Paul Ainsworth (Credit: This Morning/YouTube)

James Martin tells Paul Ainsworth men of his age ‘shouldn’t wear trainers’

During an episode of James Martin’s Saturday Morning in 2021, he and Paul Ainsworth found themselves disagreeing over how men of a certain age should dress.

“You’re not wearing socks,” James, 52, quipped to Paul while watching him prepare a dish. “What is the no socks scenario? I don’t get that.”

Confused, Paul, 46, replied that when he’s working in the vicinity of a hot oven, he has to limit what he’s wearing. But it didn’t end there. James was getting started.

“You have a new pair of trainers on every time I see you,” he jibed.

But Paul refused to take James’ comments lying down.

“You know what?” he replied. “You can’t talk. I was watching you on telly the other day…”

But before he could get a word in edgeways, James came back at him: “I never wear trainers. When have you seen me wear trainers?” he asked. “I stopped wearing trainers when I left school. Men of our age shouldn’t wear trainers.”

Paul took no notice of the interruption.

“I was watching you the other day,” he continued. “You were cooking and you went: ‘I’ll save that for supper.’

“You’re a Yorkshire man. When did you start saying supper?”

James told him to get his bread in the oven.

“Supper? I was like: ‘James Martin’s changed.’ It used to be tea when I met you,” Paul giggled.

“Just hurry up,” James clapped back. “You’ve got two minutes left.”

Asma Khan is a regular on our TV screens, and an authority on Indian cuisine (Credit: This Morning/YouTube)

Asma Khan schools James on how to cook chicken properly

During a different episode that same year, Asma Khan told James Martin in no uncertain terms that he shouldn’t be cooking chicken breasts. He was understandably perturbed, and asked why not.

“The thing is,” she said, “the spices don’t penetrate through”.

Fair enough, but what do you do with all the leftover chicken breast? James wanted to know.

“You can boil it and make it into a sandwich,” Asma replied, in a possible nod to James’ penchant for unusual sandwiches.

James found it highly amusing. Asma went on to explain that, “when you’re using spices, it doesn’t penetrate through [to the chicken]. It is left dry.” She added that she likes to use butter when marinating, “but it’s important you have moistness”.

Later in the same show, Asma commented on James’ incorrect use of curry leaves.

“Don’t use the dried ones,” she jibed. “They’re dead. They have no flavour and they are a waste of your time.”

And she didn’t stop there. She later made comments about the size of his oven, joking that she could “hardly reach it”.

“It’s just an oven,” James said in response, showing signs of exasperation.

Tony Tobin said cooking meat atop veg leads to burnt onions (Credit: YouTube)

James Martin’s fury at ‘rancid white stuff’ spoiling all his hard work

Fast forward to 2024, when James Martin butted heads with expert Tony Tobin over how to make a roast dinner.

The Yorkshireman likes to roast his joint of beef alongside, or rather atop, garlic and onions. He then uses these to boost the flavour of his gravy. It’s a normal enough method, but care has to be taken not to overdo the veg.

Tony, for one, reckons it overcooks the onions and garlic, by dint of their being much smaller than the cut of meat.

“Why do people cook a big joint on veg?” he asked his host. “The veg goes black. Does the flavour go onto the meat then?”

But James maintained his position. Onion gravy is crucial to a roast dinner, and the way to make onion gravy is to roast the meat with the onions.

“Now this is where it gets controversial,” he said. “You’ve got to have onion gravy.”

Tony wasn’t so sure.

“It’s debatable,” he said. Again, James was adamant.

“Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding was invented in Yorkshire,” he said. “You put onions in the gravy, it’s as simple as that.”

James hails from North Yorkshire. So, it seems, does the roast dinner. As a result, James believes southerners have “ruined” roast dinners, and cautioned Tony against getting him on his high horse.

Plating up, James warned the others in the studio kitchen not to “ruin” it by pairing it with horseradish.

“Horseradish should be banned because it’s the food of the devil,” he argued. “I’ve just sweated and worked so hard then you want to go and cover it up with some rancid white stuff that tastes disgusting. It’s vile.”

“Never get into a debate about Sunday roast with James Martin,” said Jake Humphrey, a guest on the show.

Indeed!

Catch up with James Martin’s Saturday Morning on ITVX at 9.30am. 

Read more: James Martin’s family heartbreak following death of grandmother: ‘It’s a sadness to me’

The post James Martin’s biggest on-air clashes – from ‘controversial’ spat with expert to argument over clothing appeared first on Entertainment Daily.