Renowned ITV chef James Martin has voiced serious concerns over the rising crime rate in London, revealing that he now brings a Belgian Malinois protection dog with him on visits to the city.
This comes after a troubling incident earlier this year when vandals smashed the rear windscreen of Martin’s car in broad daylight. He also revealed that several of his friends have fallen victim to similar crimes.
Sharing a photo of himself with one of his Belgian Malinois dogs dressed in a “working dog” harness, Martin captioned it succinctly: “London.”
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The 52-year-old Saturday Morning presenter recounted recent disturbing events, including thefts and violent encounters involving acquaintances: “Two of my friends' cars got stolen, one other mate got mugged and now I had this happen — all in broad daylight, all in central London.”
He lamented, “London is broken big time… next time I’m bringing the Malis,” referring to his two Belgian Malinois dogs.
Beyond his popular cooking shows like James Martin’s Great British Adventure, Islands to Highlands, and James Martin’s French Adventure, Martin is also an accomplished author with more than 20 best-selling cookbooks. However, his public appearances have recently been affected as he confronts health challenges.
In 2018, Martin battled facial cancer, and in November 2023, he announced a planned break from work for ongoing treatment. Speaking to fans during a recent tour, he 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. I just wanted to say thank you for all your support and all your messages.”
His fans were disappointed when he recently cancelled his scheduled appearance at the Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival, set for July 18–20 at Aireville Park in Skipton. Martin cited “circumstances outside of my control” for the cancellation.
The festival, which began in 2016 and took a break last year, was set to feature notable acts including The Feeling and Go West, adding to the anticipation around the event.