James Martin reveals hidden health battle which 'severely' affects his job

TV chef, James Martin, is one of the most popular faces on TV, however he's admitted there's a part of the job he finds 'really hard work' as he opened up about his health

James Martin has admitted he secretly struggles with his ITV job due to a hidden health battle.

The celebrity chef, 52, is one of the most popular faces on television, with shows including Saturday Kitchen and his current programme, James Martin's Saturday Morning on his CV.

However, what viewers may not realise is that James is "severely dyslexic", meaning he has trouble reading an autocue, making presenting "really difficult".

Opening up about his health, he told Lose Women's Kaye Adams on her BBC Radio Scotland show, that his job isn't as easy as it looks. After being praised by Kaye, who told James she was "fascinated" by his ability to cook and entertain his celebrity guests at the same time, the chef said: "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."

Praising the Scottish presenter, he added: "I'm watching you do your thing while I'm listening to music play and you're like a conductor. I can't do what you do and I certainly can't when I've been on Loose Women with you as well. I certainly admire anyone who's able to do that."

James has previously spoken of his dyslexia, revealing it didn't get diagnosed until he was 30 after he struggled for many years. On his show earlier this year, he revealed the secret way he overcame his struggles while filming the cooking programme.

Speaking to newsreader Lucrezia Millarini, he said: "Well, like you do the reading, I'm severely dyslexic. I have this amazing woman called Sam, Sam [on the] autocue, who puts stuff on bigger type for me so that I can properly read it."

It comes after James gave an update on his cancer diagnosis during an appearance on Lorraine earlier this year. The TV chef has previously had surgery to remove facial cancer after his first diagnosis in 2018.

When asked if he was feeling good by Lorraine on the show in April, the chef replied: "Yes, the stitches have fallen out, as you know, the last time I was on, I was in the middle of operations. As we speak, the stitches have fallen out of my body at the moment and that's all clear, onwards and upwards!"

James was first diagnosed with cancer in 2017, opening up to fans about his personal journey in June last year, and has since had to undergo regular treatments. Last November, the Malton-born star revealed that he'd been "going through a lot of s**t with cancer", but would be "getting it sorted" at the end of December.

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