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Celebrity chef James Martin has revealed a fear he harbours when it comes to riding motorbikes. The 53-year-old, known for his love of vehicles, boasts an impressive collection. The Yorkshire-born chef reportedly has a car collection worth over £5 million, including a 1980s Bentley Continental and a classic Mini Cooper S rally car among his prized possessions. James also owns a number of motorcycles, including "a few Harleys" and a Husqvarna SM. Despite his enjoyment of riding, James confesses he is too scared to take them around a racing track. In a chat with Visor Down, James admitted: "There is absolutely no chance that I would ever take a bike on track, I'm too scared. "I don't see the point in bike track days, they should just leave it to the guys that are really good at it, guys that can entertain thousands as well as ride the bikes at the limit." He recalled an incident "a few years ago" when he was a pillion passenger on a bike ridden by motorcyclist James Toseland around Brands Hatch, reports Yorkshire Live . The former Saturday Kitchen host humorously recalls spending half a lap "trying to strangle" the rider and the other half "trying to get him to slow down". However, the Saturday Morning presenter does admit to pushing vehicles to their limits, having ridden a Fireblade at 160mph and nearing 200mph in a car on a runway. He says it wasn't something that was "big or clever" but concedes it was "loads and loads of fun". James admits that whilst he'd always harboured an interest in motorbikes, he opted to drive a car during his younger years following a series of personal tragedies. He explained: "I lost a couple of mates to bikes when I was a teenager though so while the interest was there I ended up using a car to get me to and from Scarborough college where I studied catering." James honed his skills at the Hostellerie De Plaisance in Saint-Émilion, France, before training at the three Michelin-starred Maison Troisgros. Upon returning to England, he spent two years working as a pastry chef at Chewton Glen Hotel. His television journey kicked off when he featured on programmes such as Ready, Steady, Cook and The Big Breakfast during the 1990s. He dedicated a decade to the BBC presenting Saturday Kitchen before transitioning to ITV in 2016 with James Martin's Saturday Morning. The programme will make its comeback at 9.30am on ITV One this morning. This week James will be preparing calf's liver and a New York-style cheesecake for singer Russell Watson. Additionally, chefs Asma Khan and Kate Austen will also be contributing dishes.
