James Martin, 53, sparks concern as he issues statement after withdrawing from public event amid health battle
Celebrity chef James Martin has withdrawn from the Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival at short notice, issuing a brief statement citing circumstances beyond his control.
The former Saturday Kitchen presenter, 53, was scheduled to be one of the main attractions at the event taking place from July 18-20 at Aireville Park in Skipton.
Martin announced his cancellation via social media on Wednesday afternoon, taking to Instagram with a two-sentence statement.
The ITV star penned to his 761k followers: “I’m so sorry but unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of my control, I will no longer be appearing at The Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival.
“Please contact the organisers if you have any questions,” he signed off, failing to elaborate on the circumstances.
The chef had been due to feature prominently on the main stage throughout Saturday alongside other culinary figures, including Simon Rimmer and Rosemary Shrager.
Festival organisers expressed their disappointment at Martin’s withdrawal, with managing director Jon Arrowsmith acknowledging the challenges facing the revived event.
“We’re absolutely gutted that James has decided not to join us this year, we know how popular he is and understandably his fans will be disappointed by his decision,” Arrowsmith told The Yorkshire Post.
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The festival is returning this year under new ownership after being cancelled in 2024 when the previous company, Events by B3 Ltd, went into liquidation.
Traders and ticketholders were collectively owed more than £700,000 at the time of the company’s collapse.
Arrowsmith said: “Running festivals is not for the faint-hearted and it certainly has its ups and downs.
“We’ve worked hard to rebuild the festival after it collapsed and we knew it would come with its challenges – maybe not as many as we’re facing – but we’re working through them.”
Fans responded to Martin’s announcement with messages of support and concern for his wellbeing.
One supporter wrote: “The main thing is as long as you are ok. There will always be other food and drink festivals. Look after yourself x.”
Another fan commented: “Main thing is James you are ok it doesn’t matter about the show there will be others. Take care of yourself xx.”
A third well-wisher expressed hope that the cancellation wasn’t due to negative circumstances, whilst another encouraged him to “enjoy some peaceful time to yourself James you deserve it enjoy x.” (sic)
Martin’s withdrawal comes amid his ongoing battle with facial cancer, which he publicly disclosed in November 2023.
The chef revealed he was “taking a break” from work following his diagnosis, having previously undergone surgery in 2018 before the cancer returned on “several occasions”.
Speaking during his tour show at the Philharmonic Hall last year, Martin said: “For me personally, I’ve been through a lot of s**t with cancer but I’m getting sorted at the end of next month. I will be back fighting at the end of February but I’m going on a little bit of a break to get that sorted.”
The chef has required regular treatments since his initial diagnosis and expressed gratitude to fans, saying: “I just wanted to say thank you for all your support and all your messages.”