For 10 years, James Martin has been a regular on Saturday morning TV, but the chef has announced he is stepping down as the presenter of BBC1's Saturday Kitchen.
And he added that he's looking forward to having a few lie-ins after a decade of being at the helm of the show which combines studio-based cookery, star guests and excerpts from some classic culinary programmes such as The Two Fat Ladies and Floyd On Food.
The chef and car enthusiast, who has presented the programme since 2006, will host his final show at the end of March, before guest presenters take over from April.
James Martin has whipped up Saturday morning treats since 2006 (Cactus TV/BBC)
James said: “I would like to personally thank all the viewers for turning Saturday Kitchen into a three million-plus smash hit. I could not have done it without them.
“I would also like to thank the BBC and Saturday Kitchen for the great opportunity they gave me.
“It has been an amazing journey and I have been privileged to work with some of the world’s greatest chefs and some of the greatest names in showbiz. I wish the new chefs every success.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHNmQeVzRVs&feature=oembed
“I am looking forward to getting stuck into my new projects and to lots of lie-ins on a Saturday morning.”
The live cookery show has become a hit with viewers since its inception in 2002, fronted by a then relatively unknown Gregg Wallace, followed by Antony Worrall Thompson.
James will not disappear from the show entirely and will still be seen on Saturday Kitchen Best Bites on BBC Two on Sunday mornings.
Saturday Kitchen airs every Saturday at 10.00am on BBC1.
