James Martin has opened up about a touching moment when he was moved to tears by the sight of his father in the audience at one of his live shows. ITV’s Saturday Morning host recalled the pride he felt when he took his dad to one of his tour performances.
The 52 year old shared with Candis magazine how his father Ian was treated to a stay at the Ritz and was astounded to see his son’s name shining brightly at such a prestigious venue as the Palladium. He also remembered the emotional moment when, as the show began, he spotted his father in the crowd, which almost made him break down.
He reminisced: “I got him a night at the Ritz – I think he was worried he’d have to pick up the bill! – and I took him backstage at the Palladium. He couldn’t believe his son’s name was in lights outside the theatre.
“When I stepped on stage that evening and stood on the cross below which Bruch Forsyth’s ashes are buried, I looked into the audience and the first face I saw was my dad’s.
“I held it all together throughout the show but I welled up at the end. I completely lost it. The farmer’s kid had made it.”
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ITV)
This isn’t the first time James has bared his soul in recent times, as he has previously spoken candidly about his struggles with mental and physical health, including his battles with dyslexia and cancer.
James, who valiantly battled facial skin cancer after being diagnosed in 2018, opened up about the excruciating pain he faced due to recurrent cancer and multiple surgeries, as disclosed to Hello! magazine. Not only did he grapple with “debilitating pain”, but he also dove into a journey of renewed fitness, fuelled by his love for motor-racing.
On the Spooning with Mark Wogan podcast, James shared his racing challenges, stating: “It comes down to the fact that I race cars, or I still try and race a few cars, and I actually struggle to get out of them now. Getting in them, you kind of fall in them, but then you’ve got to get out of them and it just doesn’t look very good.”
Besides his health battles, James has been candid about his experiences with neurodivergence, particularly dyslexia—a condition that hampers the ability to read and process information.
In an intriguing conversation with a BBC presenter who praised his professional prowess, James confessed: “Weirdly, I can cook and talk at the same time, but presenting I still find really difficult. I’m severely dyslexic, so reading anything off an autocue is really hard work, so if I’m allowed to cook and chat, that’s where I feel at home.”
