James Martin returned to screens for a New Year’s Day special of his Saturday Morning show
James Martin announced a “super-sized” show change after the recent ITV shake-up on Thursday (January 1). The popular chef made his return to screens on New Year’s Day with a special episode broadcast from his Hampshire countryside home.
The festive instalment saw James welcoming chefs Sally Abe and John Hooker, as well as former England rugby international and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Chris Robshaw.
As the programme drew to a close, James revealed that Saturday Morning will move to an extended “super-sized” slot starting this weekend (January 3). The show has been given an extra 45 minutes, now running from 9.30am until 12pm, following a series of alterations to ITV’s daytime programming.
James told viewers: “That’s all we’ve got time for today. A massive thank you to my guests Sally, John and, of course, the brilliant Chris Robshaw. Thank you very much. We’ll see you back next Saturday morning, where we will be in the new super-sized slot, that’s where we’ll be. An improved show it says on [the autocue],” reports the Express.
James Martin has announced a huge change to his Saturday morning show(Image: ITV)
Turning to John beside him, James quipped: “Don’t worry, you’ll be invited back!”
He concluded: “But until then, enjoy the rest of your day. Happy New Year’s Day everyone, bye for now!”
During the New Year’s special, James also treated his guests to a mouth-watering steak sandwich featuring a triple layer of onions, mustard mayonnaise, and salsa verde. He also delivered a masterclass on creating a delicious sticky toffee yule log, whilst John shared a monkfish recipe and Sally prepared an egg and mushroom dish.
The adjustments to James Martin’s Saturday Morning follow ITV’s announcement of significant changes to its daytime line-up last year, affecting This Morning, Loose Women, Lorraine, and Good Morning Britain.
ITV has announced changes to its daytime line-up(Image: ITV)
From this month, these programmes will broadcast from fresh premises in central London, operating under a revised schedule. The restructure will see Loose Women return to its former 12.30pm to 1.30pm slot on a 30-week “seasonal basis”.
Lorraine will similarly shift to a 30-week format, airing between 9.30am and 10am, whilst This Morning will maintain its 10am to 12.30pm slot.
Good Morning Britain will see each episode extended by 30 minutes, broadcasting from 6am to 9.30am. These episodes will run for an additional 30 minutes during periods when Lorraine is off air.
As part of budget reduction initiatives, at least 220 staff members have been made redundant. A source revealed: “It’s terribly sad for the whole team. There are staff who have worked for ITV Daytime for years – from GMTV to Daybreak to GMB – also on Lorraine, Loose Women and This Morning… Many people who weren’t ready to leave yet are saying goodbye forever.”
James Martin’s Saturday Morning is available to stream on ITVX
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