TV chef James Martin is said to have proposed to his personal trainer girlfriend Kim Johnson, 39, after almost two years of dating – and it will be his first marriage
TV chef James Martin is reportedly preparing to walk down the aisle – completely contradicting his earlier stance. The Saturday Kitchen presenter, 53, is believed to have proposed to his 39 year old personal trainer girlfriend, Kim Johnson.
Any upcoming nuptials would represent a dramatic about-face from James’s previous declarations about marriage. He had formerly stated that tying the knot doesn’t appeal to him “in the slightest”, but seems to have had a change of heart. The proposal follows nearly two years of romance between the couple. They went public in March 2024, with insiders suggesting the pair are “happier than ever”.
Despite their relatively brief courtship, one source insisted that “when you know, you know”.
Speaking to The Sun, the insider revealed: “Of course it’s taken James decades to finally get there and friends do share a wry smile that he’s U-turned on his staunch refusal to ever marry. But everyone has seen the change in him since meeting Kim and he’s never been happier.”, reports the Mirror.
They continued: “They are a wonderful couple.”
Close friends had been wondering whether he was prepared to reconsider his views on matrimony. In October, sources suggested he’s transformed and warned things might become challenging for his former partner, Louise Davies.
“He’s a changed man now he’s met her,” a source told the publication.
“He used to be fiercely private about his love life. It will be very hard for Louise – who was with him for 12 years – when Kim gets a huge diamond ring on her finger.”
James and Kim’s romance blossomed following his split from long-term partner Louise, with whom he had been for 12 years before they parted ways in December 2023.
Prior to this, James was linked to Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, while Kim was previously wed to Elizabeth Hurley’s ex-husband Arun Nayar, a union that ended in 2017.
Recently, James offered a glimpse into his life with Kim, confessing that she finds him a “nightmare to be around’. This admission came as he attributed his culinary success to his “obsessive” nature, a characteristic he humorously noted his girlfriend has picked up on.
During an appearance on Good Housekeeping’s My Life in a Biscuit Tin podcast, James was asked about his distinctive brand and meticulous attention to detail. He responded with: “That’s what my girlfriend says.”
When further probed if he is “a bit of a nightmare to be around”, he initially dismissed the suggestion, but then admitted: “I’m obsessed with everything. I see everything.”
He added: “Worse now I’ve had my eyes done. So you know you’ve had your eyes done? I had full refractive lens surgery, so I had the lenses taken out and had new ones put in. It’s scary, I can see around corners now.
“People are now scared at work because I can see stuff a mile off. I see veins on a tree. I can read without glasses. It’s amazing.”
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