The first slew of guest hosts to front ‘Saturday Kitchen’ after James Martin’s departure have been revealed.
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After 10 years at the helm of the cooking show, James announced last month that he’d be stepping down from his presenting role, with the BBC later confirming that he’d be succeeded by a string of guest hosts until a new permanent replacement was found.
With James’ final show due to air this Saturday (26 March), it’s now been revealed that the first show without him will be presented by celebrity chef Michel Roux Jr.
He said: “I've been a fan of the show for many years and can't wait to cook up some magic with some of the great chefs the show attracts.”
Following on from Michel, a host of others will front ‘Saturday Kitchen’ for one week only, including ‘Masterchef’ judge John Torode and model-turned-TV-cook Lorraine Pascale.
Speaking about her upcoming appearance, Lorraine said: “I am so excited to be hosting Saturday Kitchen. I will miss sitting at home on the sofa in my pyjamas watching James Martin but so happy to be a part of the next chapter of this quintessential show.”
Others confirmed to be guest hosting future episodes of ‘Saturday Kitchen’ include chefs Ching-He Huang, Rick Stein and Matt Tebbutt, as well as restaurateur Gennaro Contaldo.
James admitted shortly after the announcement he was quitting that he made the decision based on the fact he hopes to get his weekends back, saying: “You know, 10 years of working every weekend with the same team [is hard].
However, he will be continuing to front ‘Saturday Kitchen Best Bites’ on BBC Two.