James Martin, 53, Reconciles with Father After Long Feud Just Before Tying the Knot with Kim Johnson, 39

JAMES Martin has reportedly ended his years-long feud with his father, Ian, after two decades.

The reconciliation comes after the TV chef, 53, 39, in December – a U-turn from his previous declarations to never get hitched.

James Martin has reportedly ended his feud with his dad almost two decades after cutting contactCredit: Getty The Saturday Kitchen chef once said he would ‘never’ talk to his father againCredit: Graham Stone The father and son cut contact after James made scathing remarks about his former stepmother in his autobiographyCredit: Collins Publishing

And now, it appears he could be open to changing his mind in other areas, too.

and once vowed to never speak to the former farmer and lorry driver again.

The family rift was sparked by several scathing remarks and explosive claims made from James about his former stepmother in the original version of his autobiography, Driven.

In the book, James wrote that she was the “ugliest woman he had ever met” and accused her of burning every ounce of his childhood, including baby pictures.

But after extracts of the book were serialised before it’s release, James apologised and the original version was quickly cleared from shelves – with the claims removed.

However, it spelled irreconcilable issues for his relationship with dad Ian.

He has since said that both he and Ian are “too stubborn” to make up, and that they would “never speak again”.

But now, they appear to have buried the hatchet.

Talking to the Daily Mail , Ian said of their relationship: “There’s no estrangement”.

The publication also reports that he described their bond as “good as ever”.

Meanwhile, a source said: “It’s been a long road, but James’s stance has softened with time.

“The pair of them have slowly rebuilt bridges over the past couple of years. Now they’re able to look forward rather than dwell on the past.

“Both have realised life’s too short to carry on not speaking.”

The Sun has reached out to James’ representatives for comment.

This development is a far cry from James’ previous statements about the family dynamic, as he once told The Sun: “The only good thing from [my autobiography] was the realisation I would never speak to my father again.

“I’ve accepted he will never be a part of my life. I spent 12 years trying to get on with him. You never knew what was around the corner.

“It was always something like getting divorced or remarried, or a new woman. It was just relentless.

“I thought, ‘I’ve had enough of this. I’m just going to separate completely’.”

It appears to be a year of change for James, as the reconciliation news comes just two months after he popped the question to his partner Kim, despite previously vowing to never marry.

James once declared: “Marriage doesn’t interest me in the slightest.”

But personal trainer , who he started dating in March 2024, is said to have made him “happier than ever”.

In December, a source said: “Everyone has seen the change in him since meeting Kim and he’s never been happier.”

The U-turn comes after James got engaged to his personal trainer partner KimCredit: PA James had previously vowed to never marry, but is said to be ‘happier than ever’ with Kim, whom he met in 2024Credit: Instagram