WEDNESDAY 11am: Used to appearing in front of an audience of 2m plus on the BBC's Saturday Kitchen, James Martin will get hands on in front of locals at Grow It, Cook It, Eat It this Sunday.
He will also be part of Drive It, a motoring section of the event, after amassing a collection of cars since making it big as aTV chef.
But it wasn't always flash rides and studio lights for Yorkshireman Martin.
"I've not always been in to cars because I couldn't afford them but now I've built up a bit of a collection." he told Melton Times reporter Chris Breese.
"I was in Germany last week at a show, some cars are way out of anybody's price range, some are £10m to £15m a car, and collectors have got a common thing, like a passion.
"The first thing I bought myself when I cleared my debt was a Lotus Elise, one of the first ones, and then I sold it and bought an Audi RS4, then I bought a Ferrari.
"Now I get given a car every week free because of my column for the Mail on Sunday so I end up with anything from a VW to a Bentley but an Audi is my staple car."
So does he think well-publicised tax rises for high-emission cars will end Britain's love affair with motoring? Not likely.
"The people who can afford £10m for a car don't care about tax, the Government have put tax up on cars to hit people who haven't got much money and it's just another way of stitching up the middle class.
"You try to do your own bit with recycling this and that but it's got to be everybody, we all should be doing it, but surely a car is a necessity."
Appearing as he is at a cattle market on a diversification drive, Martin says he's still aware of the problems facing British farming, saying he will put his hand in his pocket and buy local at the shows he appears at.
"My dad was a farmer and I've always been passionate about it. Everything I can possibly do to support agriculture I'll do it."
So does he still get nervous before going in front of an audience?
"It's not really nerves, it's more adrenalin, you only get nervous if you don't know what you're doing, I got nervous on Strictly Come Dancing because I didn't know what I was doing but with cooking I'm fine."
- James Martin will make three live appearances at Grow It Cook It Eat It on Sunday.
The full article contains 441 words and appears in Melton Times newspaper.
