Celebrity chef James Martin is so wary of London’s crime rate that he’s now accompanied by a protection dog on trips to the capital. This development follows an unsettling incident earlier in the year, when vandals smashed the rear windscreen of his car in broad daylight, an ordeal that wasn’t unique to him as other friends have also been victimised.

Taking to social media, the Saturday Morning presenter shared a snap featuring one of his dogs, a sturdy Belgian Malinois in its “working dog” harness, simply captioning it: “London.”

The 52 year old culinary wizard had previously committed to bringing one of his dogs the next time he visited London after not only his vehicle was vandalised, but two friends’ cars were stolen, another was mugged and he himself suffered an attack, all occurring in daylight in the heart of London.

He expressed his dismay about the city’s state, saying: “London is broken big time… next time I’m bringing the Malis,’, which refers to his two Belgian Malinois dogs. As well as his cookery show, he has presented James Martin’s Great British Adventure, Islands to Highlands and James Martin’s French Adventure. He has also published over 20 best-selling cook books.” hinting at the protective company of his two Belgian Malinois dogs.

Renowned for his television series such as James Martin’s Great British Adventure and Islands to Highlands, the popular chef is also a prolific author with over 20 best-selling cookery books, reports the Mirror.

However, in 2018, Martin faced a personal health challenge – facial cancer. Recently, in November 2023, he informed fans he would be taking a “little break from work” to undergo further treatment for several months.

During his tour, he opened up to his audiences about his struggle, stating: “For me personally, I’ve been through a lot of s**t with cancer but I’m getting sorted at the end of next month. I will be back fighting at the end of February but I’m going on a little bit of a break to get that sorted.”

James has expressed his gratitude to fans, saying: “I just wanted to say thank you for all your support and all your messages.”

The thank you comes after fans were left let down when he announced he would not be attending the upcoming Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival. He explained in a statement: “I’m so sorry but unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of my control, I will no longer be appearing at the Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival.”

James had been set to be one of the main attractions at the three-day festival in Skipton’s Aireville Park, which is scheduled to take place from 18 to 20 July.