ITV chef James Martin devastates fans by pulling out of Yorkshire festival appearance

James Martin fans have been left disappointed after he announced he will no longer appear at the Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival just days before the event.

The 53-year-old ITV star shared the disappointing news in a statement posted on his Instagram account, where he has 761,000 followers. James wrote: "I’m so sorry but unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of my control, I will no longer be appearing at the Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival."

He added: "Please contact the organisers if you have any questions." The comments section on his post was quickly flooded with messages from fans who had been eager to see him in person. However, comments have since been switched off.

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James had been one of the headline names expected at the festival, which is set to take place from July 18 to 20 at Aireville Park in Skipton. The popular event was launched in 2016 but didn’t run last year, so attendees have been looking forward to this summer’s comeback featuring music acts such as The Feeling and Go West.

After James’s announcement, Jon Arrowsmith, the managing director of The Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival, shared a statement with the Yorkshire Post.

He said: "We’re absolutely gutted that James has decided not to join us this year, we know how popular he is and understandably his fans will be disappointed by his decision.

"Running festivals is not for the faint-hearted and it certainly has its ups and downs. We’ve worked hard to rebuild the festival after it collapsed and we knew it would come with its challenges – maybe not as many as we’re facing – but we’re working through them.

"Please bear with us as we finalise our line-up and hire a replacement chef. But let me reassure everyone, we remain as committed as ever in our promise to deliver a festival Yorkshire will be proud of and one everyone will enjoy."

James has been a staple of British television for years, and built up a fanbase via shows like Saturday Kitchen, Home Comforts, James Martin’s Great British Adventure, Islands to Highlands and James Martin’s French Adventure. He has also written more than 20 bestselling cookbooks.

The news that James has cancelled his appearance at the Yorkshire Food & Drink Festival comes after a challenging time in his private life. He previously revealed that he was diagnosed with facial cancer in 2018, which he kept to himself for years.

In November 2023, James admitted: "I was 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."

Despite his health struggles, James has continued to work in television and remains one of Britain’s most beloved chefs.

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