James Martin: Make-up? Not in my kitchen . . .

"It looks like roadkill," says James Martin as he cast his eye over my omelette.

But then I suppose he was exacting revenge for my brutal critique of his performance when he first took the reins of BBC's hugely successful show, Saturday Kitchen.

James looked crestfallen when I said he looked amateurish in the first few episodes of the show, although I was quick to add I had been a fan ever since and download his recipes to my i-Pad cookery book every week.

But how times have changed as now the show pulls in some three million viewers every Saturday morning.

Yes, his good looks and charm might be the reason some of those viewers tune in – he earned his nickname Sweet Baby James after fronting a show of the same name focusing on puddings and desserts sending the nation's housewives's hearts-a-flutter. But then it's also the way he consummately pulls the packed hour-and-a-half together with high-profile chefs cooking live and celebrity special guest chit-chat that make it such a draw.

And that is even more obvious if you sit in the studio, as I did, and watch James as cameras zoom in and out while pans are shaken, herbs chopped, fish filleted and meat carved to produce delicious dishes. I felt exhausted just watching him, and slightly nervous as I psyched myself up to take part in the prestigious omelette challenge. I was definitely hoping to break an egg – or three.

But first things first. James started his TV career in 1996 but it was not until ten years later, in the heat of Saturday Kitchen, that he became real hot stuff at the hob.

He says he had to learn all those presenting skills 'on the job' and be able to do that alongside the slicing, dicing and creating magic on a plate. "There was no training, it was just a case of getting on with it, learning from my mistakes."

Of course there's always the autocue to rely on with producers rolling out the script and making amendments as the cameras roll. But that's not much help to James who admits he is dyslexic."There are some words I just cannot read from the autocue and we have to work around them.

"I also try and learn as much of the script as I can and then, of course, there are the ad libs and banter that just happens."

While he enjoys his TV work he doesn't really take to the make-up and preening.

"The make-up girl tries to get the stuff on but I've wiped most of it off by the time the cameras start," said this typical Yorkshire man. "How can you be taken seriously with loads of that stuff on your face? It just makes me feel awkward."

But he did have to submit to fake-tan, sequins and a hint of mascara when he appeared on Strictly Come dancing in 2005 when he managed a very respectable fourth place partnered by Camilla Dallerup. "I had to do it for that, I initially said no way to the tan and sequins but you had to go with the flow.

And he did enjoy taking to the floor. "It was a great experience and quite scary," he said. He even went on the Strictly tour and admitted that stepping out in front of thousands in huge arenas was the most frightened he'd ever been. "I tried to hide a few times, but it didn't work," he added.

And it's not his own appearance that he takes with a pinch of salt, he often jokes with 'cheffy' chefs about their presentation with foams and swirls. While he admires their skills he knows that many home cooks just can't achieve those and is keen to show just what you can do. "Food is such a pleasure," says James who knew he wanted to be a cook from the age of about eight.

He watched his grandmother and mother cooking and, living on a farm, he appreciated fresh, quality produce and the delights of a plate of inviting food.

"I was inspired when I was young and that is the key and it's something we need to encourage children of today to do."

That comes after a career which started at catering college in Scarborough when he was just 16. For three years running he was Student of the Year and is self-effacing when you point this out. "It was because I loved it, loved learning more."

The star student was offered jobs by Anthony Worrall Thompson and Brian Turner who were judges for his final exams. He then joined the staff of Worrall Thompson's One Ninety Queen's Gate restaurant in Kensington, London. After three years there he became head chef at the Hotel Du Vin in Winchester. And his career really took off eventually leading him to regular spots on Ready Steady Cook and other foodie programmes.

But it's memories of eating with his family that inpsire him most and this is clear when he talks about his favourite meal. Forget lobster, chateaubriand and flavours of the Far East, his response is simple: "My mum's Sunday lunch. I can smell and taste it now, there's nothing better. And also my grandmother's Sunday lunch, she died a few years ago but I can still taste that."

He is also quite a home bird, although he is so busy that time at home is precious. "I love my house and my garden. I grow a lot of vegetables and this year I did manage to produce some asparagus but my dog has nicked some of that."

He is a fan of using seasonal produce wherever possible and as local as possible. "There is nothing better than the first raspberry or strawberry of the British season. Or the first local asparagus, when my dog hasn't made off with it!"

Back on camera he looks at ease as he tackles dishes, helping the great and good show off some culinary magic. But it's not as easy as it appears. "Sometimes you get, shall we say, difficult chefs, ones you have to be so wary of." A consummate professional, of course he won't name names but he's more than happy to wax lyrical about his food heroes, such as Michel Roux senior.

"It is quite daunting when you have them stood next to you. These are the people who inspired me, who I really admire and who I worked with. I still get a little nervous standing alongside them."

He is also an admirer of those who take up the challenge to appear on the show, some chefs just simply won't as they admit to being scared. "I admire anyone who comes on to Saturday Kitchen because there is nowhere to hide; they're cooking live and it is by no means the easiest job to do and do successfully."

And on that note it was my turn to get cooking in front of the camera attempting to cook a three-egg omelette as quick as you can, and where I realised just how scary it is cooking live with the cameras on you.

Now I do like to pride myself on my skills in the kitchen. But standing where the likes of Antonio Carluccio, Birmingham's Glynn Purnell, Shropshire's Will Holland and the culinary god Pierre Koffmann have stood, was a tad nerve wracking.

Add James standing looking over my shoulder as the cameras rolled and any hopes I had of a decentish, quick omelette went out of the window. I got the butter too hot, did not shake the pan enough and slopped it on to the plate. Mortifying. But great fun and I was not disqualified.

I learned an awful lot from watching the show in the studio and asked James for his top three tips for a successful career in cooking. "Listen, taste and graft," wisdom from one so successful is advice to be heeded. So any budding chefs out there, follow that well.

Next on James' calendar is the Saturday Kitchen Live event at The BBC Good Food Show Summer in Birmingham between June 12 and 16.

"I go to every single BBC Good Food Show and I enjoy them more and more each time, it's a great opportunity for me to catch up with old friends and, most of all, to meet the audience.

"The good thing about the BBC Good Food summer show for me is the combination of great food and also the benefits of a fantastic outdoor area and gardens. Last year I nearly bought a duck house there."

Other highlights of this year's show include displays from The Great British Bake Off and Masterchef.

* For more information visit bbcgoodfoodshow.com

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