TV chef was first diagnosed with facial skin cancer back in 2018

TV chef James Martin has opened up about his battle with facial skin cancer has he provided a fresh update.

The 52-year-old, familiar to millions of viewers on Saturday mornings, was first diagnosed in 2018.

He underwent a series of surgical procedures. The cancer also “returned on several occasions”, meaning he had to have further treatment.

READ MORE: The Chase star Shaun Wallace gives one-word response over Bradley Walsh ‘exit’

James shared how it would often leave him in debilitating pain, and described the period around his diagnoses as “one of the most fraught and difficult periods of my life”.

The chef told how the cancer diagnosis even left him planning his own funeral.

But in a new update, James says he is now feeling much better.

The chef has now begun to look towards the future with a more positive frame of mind, reports Gloucestershire Live.

He’s opened his own pub, the Lygon Arms in the Cotswolds, and has talked about his 10-year plan.

The presenter added: “I’ve got this dream. I’d have my own place called Eight which would be open eight days a month serving an eight-course menu to 18 people.”

The host of Saturday Morning has also shared about how he shed three stone.

James opened up on the Spooning with Mark Wogan podcast about his weight loss, telling how his passion for motorsport was the main drive behind his transformation.

He explained: “It comes down to the fact that I race cars, or I still try and race a few cars and I actually struggle to get out of them now.

“Getting in them, you kind of fall in them, but then you’ve got to get out of them and it just doesn’t look very good.”

He explained changes to his eating habits and said: “I’ve decided that I maybe need to stay clear away from these (picks up a Twix bar) and stuff like that and maybe eat fish, and it’s worked.”

James also disclosed his alternative approach to fitness – walking an impressive 20 to 30,000 steps daily with his dog.