HE'S kept pretty quiet about his love life in recent years, but one past relationship left TV chef James Martin shaken and stirred.
The ex-Saturday Kitchen host, 51, who has split from his girlfriend of 12 years Louise Davies, previously dated James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli for four-and-a-half years.
During their romance, which ended in 2008, Barbara - who is 12 years James’ senior - showered him with gifts, including a Picasso painting for his birthday.
She also introduced him to her Hollywood A-lister pals, including Daniel Craig, Halle Berry and Nicole Kidman.
James has previously referred to her as the “love of his life” - but called time on their romance after Barbara tried to buy him a £180,000 Aston Martin.
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The unlikely pair met in 2001, when Barbara “won” him at a charity auction.
She paid an eye-watering £18,000 to have him come to her house in Chelsea to cook her and five friends a meal.
The chef, then 29, turned up having no idea she was the daughter of the first Bond producer ‘Cubby’ Broccoli - or that she was producing Bond with her half-brother.
“The evening was hilarious - and we just clicked,” he previously told the Daily Mail. “I just thought she was an amazing woman.”
He offered to cook for her again on her birthday, and afterwards they started dating.
James described their relationship as "surreal, exciting and unforgettable", adding Barbara was "incredibly easy to be around" and "generous to a fault".
“My phrase for her was, 'Being with you is as easy as breathing,' and it was true," he said.
"She'd never ask for anything but would give everything to make you happy.
“Unlike many in her business, Barbara is not pretentious or ostentatious - she drives a Volvo, for crying out loud.”
Hollywood hangouts
Three months into their relationship, James visited Barbara’s mansion in Los Angeles.
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He told how it was massive, with a lounge twice the size of his entire home, and he struggled to fathom how he'd ended up there.
While Barbara was out one day, James told how he was greeted by a man dressed in a black suit holding a silver plate with an envelope containing a set of car keys.
There was a note from his girlfriend which read: “Enjoy Beverly Hills, I'll see you later, love B.”
The keys were for a silver Ferrari 360 Spyder, which she encouraged James to take for a spin as she'd put him on the insurance.
"So what did I do? I headed for a KFC drive-thru and bought myself a Bargain Bucket," James recalled.
It was the start of a new Hollywood lifestyle which saw James accompany Barbara to star-studded events, including the Baftas, where he rubbed shoulders with Halle Berry and Nicole Kidman.
Barbara's generosity stretched to buying James lavish gifts, including a Picasso painting for his birthday, after he couldn’t stop looking at one of the artist’s drawings in a gallery on their first date.
She bought him another two of his artworks over the next few years, but James had to tell her to stop because he couldn't afford the insurance on them.
James says he still has all three, along with a pencil drawing of Whitstable by L. S. Lowry, stored in a vault in London.
Other presents Barbara bought James included a Paul Newman Daytona Rolex - one of which sold for a record price of $17,752,500 (£14m) last month - and a Tiffany ring he once saw Ronan Keating wearing on Top of the Pops.
He admitted he tried to match her by buying her a £17,000 ring she'd said she liked, but it "wiped him out".
'Regrets' over split
During their relationship the chef bonded with James Bond actor Daniel Craig over their shared love of cars.
James once accompanied the star on a visit to the Aston Martin headquarters in Warwickshire to view a mock-up model of the new Aston Martin DBS - the car Daniel would later drive in Casino Royale.
While there the two men were offered the chance to test drive some of their existing models.
James recalled: “Barbara was laughing. Daniel and I looked like a couple of eight-year-olds who had just been told they could have any toy in the shop.”
But it was that visit to Aston Martin which hit home for James how "imbalanced" their relationship was.
When James gushed about the new DBS, which had a £180,000 price tag, he said Barbara then insisted she buy him one, in whatever specification he desired.
James told her she was being ridiculous, stressing a car is too much to give someone as a gift - especially given it wasn't even a special occasion.
“It was a defining moment in our relationship," he said. "Deep down, I knew there was always going to be an imbalance."
James said when he told his mum he was planning to end it, she said he was "mad".
He admitted walking away from someone who you love, and who loves you that much, was hard, adding: "Maybe it was the daftest thing I have done."
James went on: "Barbara was the first real love of my life. I still think the world of her and always will... In the end I think it was for the best, not just for Barbara and me but also for her children."
Moving on with Miss England
James went on to date Miss England 2001, Sally Kettle, later that year.
He called her “special” and “the perfect woman” - insisting it had nothing to do with her Miss World title or her beauty.
“The thing that makes her the perfect woman, is this: Sally likes cars. She really likes cars," James said.
“Beauty, brains, a good laugh and a love of driving fast in cool cars. A man cannot ask for more. Her cooking isn't bad, either.”
New flame
James began dating TV producer Louise in 2011, after meeting on the set of Celebrity Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
They lived in Hampshire before relocating to a stunning rural home, and shared a dog.
Yesterday a spokesperson for James confirmed they parted ways in December 2023, but remain friends.
He is now rumoured to be dating personal trainer Kim Johnson.
Kim was previously married to millionaire businessman Arun Nayar - the ex-husband of Liz Hurley - for a year between July 2016 and 2017.
James and Kim were spotted browsing watches in London's Mayfair.
Prior to his split from Louise, James ruled out marriage and kids, claiming: "It doesn't interest me in the slightest, mainly because I've catered for so many weddings, really.
"I admire people who do it, that's fine, but I'm quite happy. I don't need to spend 60 grand on a day, no, I'm more than happy thanks."
He added: "My mates come round to my house and they look into my garage and I go, 'These are my babies, these are my things,' but you know, it's each to their own, isn't it?"
It's a shame that collection doesn't include a black Aston Martin DBS...
