ITV chef James Martin has lifted the lid on his experience during Strictly Come Dancing.

James Martin appeared on Strictly (Image: Photo by David Lodge/FilmMagic/Getty)

James Martin’s Saturday Morning returned this weekend, with Strictly Come Dancing stars Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu appearing as guests.

ITV chef James Martin welcomed the Strictly professionals onto his show, as they opened up about their love of dancing and experiences on Strictly.

James, 53, previously competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2005, where he finished in fourth place alongside professional partner Camilla Dallerup.

Speaking about his time on the BBC show, James revealed he had been put on a strict diet that left him feeling “starving”.

The conversation came about after Amy, 35, opened up about how her Crohn’s disease limits which foods are safe for her to eat, including red meat, nuts and foods with tough skins.

She was also delighted after James revealed he knew her favourite food was fried chicken, asking: “How do you know that?”

James Martin discussed his Strictly diet(Image: ITV)

He then admitted: “I think it’s a Strictly thing, because when I was doing Strictly, I lived on…. the very well known fast food outlet and I ate it by the bag and bucket.

“I was so starving because the dancers put you on a diet and I had to eat lettuce during the day, and buckets of chicken on a night when I left. So I’m going to show you how to make your own!”

He later served the Strictly pros some delicious looking crispy fried chicken glazed in a sticky cherry cola BBQ sauce, served with fresh herbs, chilli, and lime.

James also credited Strictly for his Saturday Morning slot, saying: “When I was doing it, I’m pretty sure people were like, ‘Who’s that fat lad on the show?’” Carlos, 33, interjected at this point to insist he was a “charming lad”.

“I did it 20 odd years ago, but I couldn’t believe the work ethic of you guys,” James said, suggesting the standard must have “only increased”.

Carlos Gu and Amy Dowden were guests on the show(Image: ITV)

Meanwhile, Carlos and Amy acknowledged the show could be intense after James praised their “relentless” work ethic, but added that they “loved” working on the BBC series.

Amy then went on to reveal she was the first professional dancer to ever turn Strictly down, choosing to sign on to the show at a later point.

However, she grew to adore her time on Strictly, admitting that when she had to step back due to her tough cancer battle it had felt like “what I loved most was taken away from me”.

While Amy has not yet confirmed her return to Strictly Come Dancing this year following her tough health battle, fans can catch her performing on stage very soon.

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James Martin opened up about his time on the show(Image: ITV)

Amy has joined forces with Carlos for their Reborn 2.0 tour, which Carlos has revealed represents the personal struggles both dancers have faced.

Speaking on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast recently, Carlos praised co-star Amy following her struggle with breast cancer, calling her “so strong” and “so positive”.

Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, undergoing both chemotherapy and a mastectomy, and she is now in recovery.

James Martin’s Saturday Morning returns next week on Saturday at 9:30am on ITV1 and ITVX.