TV chef James Martin has opened up about his recent surgery and how it has impacted his life, including his role on Saturday Morning alongside his ITV colleagues
James Martin on his Saturday Morning show
TV star James Martin, 53, has confessed that his post-operative transformation has left his ITV Saturday Morning colleagues feeling frightened of him.
The television personality, who presents the programme each weekend from his own home with fellow culinary experts and famous guests, was questioned about his increased focus on precision across all areas of his professional life.
Whilst appearing on Good Housekeeping’s My Life In A Biscuit Tin podcast, presenter Liz Moseley observed that James would be impossible to substitute on his ITV programme, given how intrinsically the show reflects the chef’s individual character, enquiring: “There’s obviously a real aesthetic to everything.
“You’re obsessed with the way you do your garden, your house, you’re very particular about it all. Are you a bit of a nightmare to be around?”.
James chuckled at the enquiry before disclosing that this fundamental trait has genuinely intensified in recent months, as his vision is considerably sharper following his operation, enabling him to “see stuff a mile off”.
James Martin developed TV production skills from his career in kitchens(Image: Stuart C. Wilson via Getty Images)
Discussing his health, he responded: “Not really, I think I see everything… worse now because I’ve had my eyes done! So, you know you have laser surgery? I had full refractive lens surgery, so I had the lenses taken out and new ones put in.”
Describing the outcome of the treatment, James declared: “Oh my God, I can see round corners now, it’s scary! People are now scared at work because I can see stuff a mile off. I can see veins on a tree, I can now read without glasses, it’s amazing.”
According to Nuffield Health, refractive or clear lens surgery, also known as ‘lens replacement surgery’, involves a consultant ophthalmic surgeon replacing the eye’s natural lens with an artificial one. This new lens is specifically designed to correct common focusing or ‘refractive’ conditions.
Despite acknowledging the benefits of the surgery, James emphasised that his meticulous attention to detail was largely influenced by his career as a professional chef. He said: “But the attention to detail to me comes from the fact that you work in an industry where detail is everything.”
James Martin admitted he’s ‘scaring’ his colleagues
He questioned whether he could apply this same level of scrutiny to his work in television production, striving for improvement every day.
He added: “I think you can still have that attention to detail, because it still matters to people watching.”
James further explained how his experience in the kitchen translates into the world of TV. He revealed that he and the Saturday Morning team regularly hold meetings to discuss potential improvements to the show.
He shared: “We all have a meeting afterwards at the end of the day – what worked, what didn’t work, what could be better, what couldn’t be better, and we all have a meeting in the morning [to discuss] what’s coming up.”
He concluded by saying: “And that is what we do in the restaurant business, it’s a chef’s thing.”
