James Martin has told fans he is taking a short break after opening up about his cancer diagnosis, but said he would be "back fighting".

The celebrity chef, 51, told fans this summer that he had been diagnosed with facial cancer several years ago, sharing his health battle as he apologised to the crew for his behaviour on the set of James Martin's Saturday Morning in 2018. He has now shared that he will be taking some time out to get "sorted".

According to the Mirror, the star spoke out at the end of a show at Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall. He told his fans: "On a personal note, I just wanted to say thank you for 30 years of television.

READ MORE: Want more showbiz? Daily Star has just the thing for you!

READ MORE: Want more TV? Daily Star has just the thing for you!

"'For me personally, I've been through a lot of s*** 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."

Earlier this year, James was accused of bullying behaviour towards crew members, with reports claiming that there was an outburst over a blocked drain at his home when he was filming Saturday Morning in 2018. He issued a statement on social media in the wake of claims, revealing his cancer diagnosis.

He wrote: "Firstly, I would like to publicly and sincerely apologise to the crew involved in this incident, as I did at the time. I have always strived to keep my private life private.

"However since details of a conversation, which was secretly recorded in January 2018, are now five years later being made public by a former member of our production team, I have decided to make a statement. The end of 2017 was one of the most fraught and difficult periods of my life.

"I was dealing with the death of my last living grandparent, my grandfather, and on account of work commitments I could not attend his funeral. Later that month I was burgled at night by a team of masked men, who entered my house while my partner Louise was at home alone and I was away working. I was devastated that she had to go through that alone.

"On top of this I was then diagnosed with cancer on my face and I had to have surgery, which I couldn't do until two days before Christmas when we had finished filming. Since then it has returned on several occasions and I have to have regular treatments."

He said he was in "a very emotional state" and that "when after filming in early January 2018 I discovered my home had been flooded while filming, I was extremely upset".

"I can only say I am human and following a build-up of personal life pressure, I admit that I overreacted regarding the damage to my home," he said.

For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.

Source: Read Full Article