TV chef and star of ITV’s Saturday Morning James Martin has made a career out of cooking and sampling delicious food.

Having spent many years showcasing some of the very best recipes with UK audiences, the 51-year-old has struggled with his weight due to the nature of his job.

The foodie from Malton in Yorkshire is known for his sumptuous desserts and for using butter as a key ingredient in his dishes.

Having reached 19st 17lbs at his heaviest, he found that swapping out one of his favourite indulgences helped him to shed pounds without dieting or hitting the gym.

James shared that the "secret" to losing weight was "cutting down on soft drinks".

The TV chef showed off his slim physique at the Bolton Food and Drink Festival in August last year.

Despite having been being trolled online for his weight gain, the 51-year-old explained that he only re-evaluated his diet after several friends got ill and passed away during the pandemic.

According to the Manchester Evening News, James told the crowd: "I think when Covid hit, everyone started to re-evaluate their lives and what can you do better, and I think it was just a different focus on life.

“I lost three stone, and for me the main thing was cutting out fizzy drinks and I now drink 2.5 litres of water every day.

“When you get to 50, when you get the phone call and hear some of your mates are not very well, or that some of your mates have passed away, you just have a different outlook on life. You still have the same drive, but how you achieve that, you do things slightly differently."

He explained how he had become so reliant on fizzy drinks, saying: "I don't really drink much alcohol, only about three or four units a month anyway, so I'm not much of a drinker - it was cutting out the fizzy drinks was the main thing for me.

“I think the problem when you're travelling from A to B all the time, you need that sugar hit, I don't drink tea or coffee, so fizzy drinks was the way I got it."

The TV favourite had also previously told Hello! Magazine that he drinks "two litres of water a day" while still eating the same diet.

He continued: "Water keeps your brain healthy and it keeps your skin healthy and it keeps you focused – it's crazy when you give up soft drinks how much more your brain feels alive, it's very weird."