Television presenter and chef Matt Tebbutt has shared how he really felt about replacing James Martin, 53, who had been the host of the BBC's Saturday Kitchen for a decade prior to his current reign. Matt, 52, took on James' role in 2017, when the Yorkshire-born TV chef moved to ITV to front his own show, James Martin's Saturday Morning.

Matt, who went on to replace Gregg Wallace on MasterChef: The Professionals earlier this year, said that whilst the process wasn’t easy, and that it varies from show to show, all he tries to do is to put his own mark on the job "without making too many waves". He explained to Yours magazine: “Stepping into a new job isn’t easy especially when you’re taking over somebody else’s gig on TV like I did with MasterChef: The Professionals.”

Matt added: “I did it under totally different circumstances, when James Martin left Saturday Kitchen. I always just try and make my own mark without making too many waves in a new job. And I won’t. Never mind a safe pair of hands, I’ll be as safe as houses!”

This isn’t the first time Matt has spoken about his time on Saturday Kitchen and how his career has changed since his appointment.

Speaking to the Express’s Fran Winston earlier this month during an appearance at Jeremy Clarkson’s FarmFest, he said that whilst he started working as a professional chef, he now feels more like a ‘TV chef’.

He said: “I think it is fair to say now I am probably a TV chef. I originally started as a working chef doing all the hours for 14 years.

“That's a tough game. TV cookery isn't. It comes with other pressures. There are time pressures. Conformity. I mean I've always been a chef but I think now it's veered into 'TV chef’.”

Whilst Matt’s career on the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen continues, he recently confirmed he would not be returning to a full time judging role on MasterChef: The Professionals.

Matt was chosen to replace Gregg Wallace on the programme. Last year, Gregg was sacked from MasterChef after a review later upheld 45 of the 83 allegations made against him, which reportedly mostly occurred between 2005 and 2018.

Addressing his exit on Instagram earlier this year, he said: “A lot of lovely people have contacted me about not doing the next series of MasterChef: The Professionals. I was only ever doing one series and I loved judging on it and will continue working with MasterChef.”

However, in a later interview on BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme, Matt admitted that he was genuinely upset by the decision, but that he had been trying to stay resilient.

He explained: "It was, yes, of course it is [difficult]. I mean, I'm not going to say I wasn't upset. I was really upset. And it could have been handled a lot better.

"You know, there's worse things going on. You've got to be pretty resilient. It's part of the game, really. I guess it's like if you're a politician, you're going to get knocks.

“So it's just par for the course, I think. Walking into such an established show, whatever had happened before, you don't want to be that guy that turns up and steamrollers everything.

“To then go in and get to know the personalities of Monica and Marcus, and get to know the crew and still do your job and deliver, it was a lot.”

Matt Tebbutt returns today (Saturday) for Saturday Kitchen at 9am on BBC One whilst James Martin will be on Saturday Morning at 9.30am on ITV1