Foodie fans were delighted to see James Martin back in the kitchen on a Saturday morning, following his departure from BBC’s Saturday Kitchen.
Fans on social media expressed their joy at “waking up with James Martin again on a Saturday morning”, and wondered “how many people have deserted Saturday Kitchen”.
However, some were quick to point out the similarities between his former show and the new ‘Saturday Morning with James Martin’, which debuted on ITV on Saturday.
Joined by Loose Women star Linda Robson and chef Daniel Galmiche, the show combined cooking with celebrity interaction, much like the popular BBC show, and it even goes out at the same time.
One conflicted fan took to Twitter to say: “You made my morning so difficult I love Saturday kitchen but obviously I watched your show, good to have you back.”
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Another responded: “So James Martin quit Saturday Kitchen on BBC1 but is now presenting Saturday Kitchen on ITV1 at same time Saturday Kitchen on BBC 1…”
Other viewers were just not keen at all…
Commenting on the similarity as well, a fan pointed out: “New on @ITV Saturday Morning With James Martin, basically ITV’s version of Saturday Kitchen Which used to be presented by… James Martin.”
James spoke to HuffPost UK recently to hit back at similarity claims.
He said: “I think if you see it, it’s not a comparison. The only comparison is me. I can’t change me.
“If it was a live, studio-based programme, I can see people making that assumption, but it’s a very different show.
“We also don’t have an archive to rely on, so you’ve got a two hour show where we make everything.
“It’s more involved in me than the other show was, so it’s a lot more work.”
“I think it’s more relaxed and I feel more relaxed because I’m in my house and I know where everything is and how the oven works!”