Shocking recording reveals moment ‘bully’ TV chef James Martin launches into furious f-word rant at crew

TV chef James Martin’s 10 minute tirade at staff over a blocked drain has been exposed in shocking leaked audio.

A whistleblower passed a recording of the rant to The Sun after the star, 51, was accused of bullying his crew following a string of incidents on set.

Martin unleashed his anger at staff on a tense Zoom call after the drain at his home was blocked while filming for James Martin’s Saturday Morning – which he claimed cost £30,000 worth of damage.

In the 10 minute rant, the TV favourite swears 42 times as he berates the team, says they should be “f**king fried” and punishes them by ordering them to take their lunch break standing up in the “f***ing rain”.

The incident, which happened in 2018, has come to light now after a new swathe of complaints were made about the chef’s conduct while filming James Martin’s Spanish Adventure this year, sparking an internal investigation into his behaviour.

Responding to ITV’s investigation on Wednesday, Martin said he “wholly regrets” getting angry, and agreed “lessons have been learned”.  He has responded to the leaked audio in full, below.

The full extent of his rant can now be revealed after a shellshocked former employee contacted The Sun.

In the tape, secretly recorded from a 15 minute long group Zoom call, Martin rages: “I am absolutely furious, beyond belief. It’s my home, it’s my house. It’s my f**ing house.

“Nobody listens, nobody f**king listens do they. I will not put up with this, this is b*llocks.

“A driveway that cost me £26,000 is f**ked because somebody put a load of oil in the f**king bin that’s now dripped everywhere and f**king ruined my driveway.

“If this was somebody’s house you would end up with a massive bill. People would get fired and rightly so, if this was working for Endemol your arse would be f**king fried. 

“Show me and show my house more f**king respect – if not, you’re gone.

“But if I haven’t got a plumber round at my house to give me a quote and a guy to tarmac by tomorrow, somebody is going to get fired.

“Senior members of our staff will get f**king fired because I‘m sick of it. I’m sick of being treated like a f**king piece of sh*t.

“Get in first thing in the morning, last thing at night, first there, last to go, I’m sick of it.

“I do it because I’m 100 per cent professional so everybody else do the f**king same.

“I bust my boll**ks off, there is nobody on that studio floor that works more than what I f**king do.

“If you don’t like it, p*ss off.

“I’m not interested in paying people a f**king fortune and having to deal with a sh*t aftermath afterwards.”

Martin goes on punish the crew by banning the use of any of his kitchenware, furniture or amenities.

He rants: “Don’t even f**king think about bringing an articulated truck and dumping a Portakabin in my house.

“I’ll tell you what’s going to happen. You’re going to prep it up [the food, for filming] in a pissy little f**king van.

“You’re going to stand there in the f**king rain and get wet for lunch, that’s what going to happen, because you’re not having any of my chairs, f**k all.”

He adds; “No equipment, no seats, no benches, no trestle tables, nothing. No plates, nothing.”

The source claims that the drains became blocked due to simple fat build up – widely understood to be a common problem in even residential kitchens.

In response, James Martin told The Sun: “Firstly, I would like to publicly and sincerely apologise to the crew involved in this incident, as I did at the time.

“I have always strived to keep my private life private.  However since details of a conversation, which was secretly recorded in January 2018, are now five years later being made public by a former member of our production team, I have decided to make a statement.

“The end of 2017 was one of the most fraught and difficult periods of my life.  I was dealing with the death of my last living grandparent, my grandfather, and on account of work commitments I could not attend his funeral.

“Later that month I was burgled at night by a team of masked men, who entered my house while my partner Louise was at home alone and I was away working.  I was devastated that she had to go through that alone.

“On top of this I was then diagnosed with cancer on my face and I had to have surgery, which I couldn’t do until two days before Christmas when we had finished filming. Since then it has returned on several occasions and I have to have regular treatments. 

“After all this stress I was in a very emotional state, and when after filming in early January 2018 I discovered my home had been flooded while filming, I was extremely upset.

“I can only say I am human and following a build-up of personal life pressure, I admit that I overreacted regarding the damage to my home.”

On Wednesday Martin’s production firm Blue Marlin admitted he “responded emotionally” over the drain.

It added: “We have taken ITV’s recommendations on board and are fully implementing.”

ITV said the welfare of people working on its shows was its highest priority and would now “closely monitor” production on Martin’s shows.