Celebrity chef interview: James Martin

Celebrity chef James Martin hosts Saturday Kitchen on BBC1 and impressed viewers with his dancing skills on Strictly Come Dancing back in 2006...

Q I love it when people...
Cook for me, which doesn't happen very often, sadly. Trouble is, when people come to my place to eat, they always expect something cheffy. They just get what they're given though!

Q I hate it when...
People aren't honest. It's probably a Yorkshire thing, but I can't bear to be lied to.

Q What three things would you put in Room 101?
Oh, the list is endless. Can I have four? Any reality show like Big Brother. They're full of talentless people who just want to be famous. Jeremy Kyle - he makes me want to throw the TV at the wall. Okra because it's slimy and disgusting, and turkey because it's ugly when it's alive and bland when it's cooked.

Q If you could change places with a celebrity for a week who would it be?
Jamie Oliver - I'd like to know what it feels like to have p****d off thousands of northerners!

Q If you weren't a chef, what would you be?
Definitely a vet. I love animals and admire anyone who can treat them.

Q Town or country?
I'm a country lover through and through. Whenever I'm in the city I can't wait to get back to the open spaces where I live.

Q What would you save if your house was burning down?
My two dogs, Hector and Fudge. I wouldn't worry about my cat, Dave, as he'd probably be long gone...

Q Describe your perfect night in?
In front of the telly, with a Sunday roast on my knee in MY armchair. Although one of the dogs has taken a liking to it so I don't get to sit in it so much!

Q Describe your perfect night out? <
My mate Lawrence Keogh is head chef at Roast in London's Borough market, and he cooks a delicious côte de boeuf which I eat all to myself with roast potatoes cooked in dripping. His Yorkshire pudding isn't as good as mine though, as I always like to tell him.

Q Who is your hero?
Steve McQueen - that man was the epitome of cool. He was a great actor but didn't care about all the Hollywood stuff. He lived in a converted aircraft hangar surrounded by his cars and planes. That's cool!

James is fronting the Switch 2 Canned Food campaign, and has developed a series of affordable, nutritious and delicious recipes, which you can watch him demonstrate on www.cannedfood.co.uk

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