James Martin forced to cancel work due to circumstances 'outside of his control'

James Martin has left fans gutted after pulling out from a highly anticipated food festival just weeks before he was due to appear. 

The 53-year-old chef announced the news via Instagram, writing: "I'm so sorry but unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of my control, I will no longer be appearing at the Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival." 

He added: "Please contact the organisers if you have any questions." 

The Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival takes place between July 18 and 20 at Aireville Park in Skipton and features appearances from other celebrity chefs, including Rosemary Shrager and Simon Rimmer. 

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Galton Blackiston also dropped out of the festival, posting a similarly worded message to his own Instagram page. 

“James made the difficult decision to withdraw from the Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival 2025 due to the failure of the organisers Cocker Hoop Creative Ltd to meet contractual obligations,” a representative for James told HELLO! exclusively. 

HELLO! has also reached out to the Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival for comment.

James' departure from Saturday Morning

The cancellation comes just weeks after he announced he would be stepping away from his ITV show, Saturday Morning, which he's hosted since 2017. He thanked his guests and crew before signing off with a message that fans called emotional and heartfelt. 

James said: "That's all we have got time for today, a massive thank you to all of my guests." He continued: "To my food team, you can sleep better now. Daniel and Sally, and of course, Harry Redknapp and Carly Paoli." 

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The celebrity chef has also recently opened up about his private battle with skin cancer. James was first diagnosed in 2018 and has since undergone multiple surgeries as the cancer returned on several occasions. 

Speaking about his experience, James admitted that the period around his diagnosis was one of the darkest times of his life. He shared: "It was one of the most fraught and difficult periods of my life." 

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Away from television, James also has a considerable restaurant portfolio, including the Tavern at The Lygon Arms in the Cotswolds, which he opened in 2023. Nestled on the high street in Broadway, the Tavern offers traditional pub food with a luxury twist. 

On Instagram, James reminded his followers of the venue, writing: "Step off Broadway High Street and enjoy a laid-back lunch at Tavern by James Martin. Relax in the cosy ambience with a local cider or ale and indulge in a bite from our blackboard menu."