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James Martin feared he'd 'killed' celebrity guest amid 'panic' on ITV show
Daily mirror | January 24, 2026 6:39 PM CST

Renowned Chef James Martin told one celebrity guestthat he was worried that he might have killed her when she choked on a piece of food whilst appearing on his ITV show.

James, 53, was being interviewed by Jenni Falconer, 49, on LNER’s Routes podcast about his extraordinary career when they remembered a scary incident onJames Martin's Saturday Morning.

Jennie said: “I came on James’ show, and you made the most amazing chicken parmigiana and I cut a really big chunk and I was like ‘Oh no, I’ve got to eat it’. And it was too big for my mouth.”

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Whilst James responded saying that it would have been fine if Jenni had cut a smaller piece, she replied that in the moment she decided to commit: “I was like, okay, I’ve got to just eat this now, but it’s too big but, I’ll be fine. And then I choked.”

Telling his side of the story, James replied: “Your face just went white. I thought, what do I do? What do I do? I was thinking, ‘Do I Heimlich Manoeuvre? What do I do?’ and I’m thinking, I’m panicking.”

Jenni replied: “I was like I can’t breathe. It was so awful.” James added that in the moment he thought she was joking before Jenni clarified: “It wasn’t a joke at all. It was awful. I just literally shoved such a massive chunk in my mouth at once, but it was delicious.”

Looking back on the incident with a light quip knowing Jenni survived, James concluded: “I thought the first and only guest I’ve killed on the show is going to be you.”

However, near-death-experiences by pasta wasn’t the only food-based topic Jenni and James discussed as the radio presenter asked the chef where the best place for fish and chips was in the UK.

James, who was born in Malton, Yorkshire, said there was one spot in particular that served what for him was the “pinnacle” and “nirvana” of fish and chips, the Magpie Café in Whitby, North Yorkshire.

The ITVstar explained that he found fish and chip heaven after ordering a large haddock with mushy peas, salt, vinegar, and tartar sauce.

He exclaimed his delight at his experience and explained in detail his wonderous seaside experience. He said: “Go to Whitby, you have to have fish and chips, I think at the Magpie.

“You've got to have a large haddock. A large haddock, mushy peas, you have your lemon, your tartar sauce, you have your Sarson's vinegar and you have your salt.

"You sit there and the wind's howling a gale, you sit there and you open up this pot of gold, and then there's just smell as this steam comes up, it hits your nose.

"The wind howling, but as this steam hits your nose, a little drip of snot drips onto your fish and then you're in nirvana, heaven, you're in the pinnacle of fish and chips."

James Martin's Saturday Morning returns today (Saturday, January 24) at 9.30am on ITV.


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