TV chef has filmed travel series in the likes of France, Spain, and Italy, but has revealed one destination that he has not yet managed to visit, despite it being “on his list”.
James Martin has joked that he might need to “pay someone a backhander” to make his dream ITV travel show a reality, after clashing with bosses over which country he should explore next. The TV chef disclosed that he proposed the idea of a travel series in Japan, so he could immerse himself in the cuisine and culture of the Asian nation.
The 52-year-old confessed that he’s had the country “on his list” for some time. However, due to work obligations and the Covid pandemic, he missed his opportunity to visit. After suggesting it to the channel’s executives, he found himself journeying to Spain instead, for James Martin’s Spanish Adventure.
The Saturday Morning host has previously toured France, The Highlands, and America for his ITV series. But, during an episode of The Travel Diaries podcast with Holly Rubenstein last year, he revealed that he still dreams of Japan.
He expressed: “I’d love to go to Japan, it’s on my list. I’ve been close, been close with work, and then Covid hit, and I couldn’t make the gig and I keep saying to ITV that a travelog thing to Japan would be amazing, and they said, ‘we’ll do Spain again’… ‘alright, okay’,” he sighed.
“I really want to do it and I’m doing Spain in a similar sort of guise really. France, I know, America, I know, and that kind of stuff, and Spain is my next adventure.”
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info
READ MORE: Great British Bake Off 2024 start date, time and full line-up of contestantsREAD MORE: ‘I transformed an abandoned site in Liverpool after winning an auction at Disneyland Paris’
“I don’t know a thing about Spain. I know the quality of the olive oils and the hams and that sort of stuff, I’m just going around like a Brit foodie saying, ‘feed me’. I think Japan would be the same sort of thing. I just want to parachute myself in there and almost go ‘what on earth is this? ‘”.
“You want to be walking around a market going, ‘what is that? Isn’t that amazing,’ I’d love to do that. The people are amazing.”
James went on to say he was “very jealous” of anyone who had visited the Asian nation. Host Holly replied: “Maybe next year when I see you on the TV driving though Japan, I’ll be thinking, aww.”
The TV chef quipped: “If you do, you’ll know I’ve paid someone a backhander or something like that. I’d love to, but we’ll stick to what we know first of all but Japan and Japanese cuisine is definitely on the list.”
