The world of James Bond has been shaken and a bit stirred with the news that Amazon is set to claim a stake in the iconic series.
Jeff Bezos’ firm will now hold creative reins over the famous 007 character as long-standing producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli take a step back in an exciting new arrangement. It means a huge change in the life of Broccoli – who has been at the helm of Eon Productions along with Wilson since the death of her father Albert “Cubby” Broccoli in 1996.
ITV chef James Martin opened up on his split with the James Bond producer and previously the celebrity chef said he knew things were doomed with his former flame when she tried to buy him a £180,000 Aston Martin. The pair had dated when James was 29 and she was 49.
The star and Broccoli were together for four-and-a-half years before they ended their relationship in 2008, as we previously reported.
Reflecting on his past love, James, says there was an ‘imbalance’ between himself and the mega-rich producer, now aged 64, so he knew deep down it wouldn’t work. After the pair first met at a charity auction, Martin remembers how they instantly clicked despite having a 12-year age gap. Broccoli had ‘won’ James at the auction in 2001, paying £18,000 for him to cook her dinner. The Hollywood bigwig ended up being impressed by James’ cooking skills and hired him again to cook a birthday meal, before romance soon followed.
Barbara – said to be worth around £300million – showed her affection by showering the This Morning chef with some incredible gifts including three genuine Picassos. But James says it was the supercar that spelled the end of the romance.
“It wasn’t as if it was my birthday or Christmas – it was just a spur of the moment thought,” James said as he opened up about their break-up in his 2009 memoir Driven.
“It was a defining moment in our relationship. Deep down, I knew there was always going to be an imbalance.”
“In the end I said, ‘If I want something, I’ll work for it. Just drop it or we’re going to fall out over this’.
James went on to date former Miss England Sally Kettle and then TV producer Louise Davies from 2011 – 2024, and is currently in a relationship with personal trainer Kim Johnson.
In a 2008 article, James suggested to the Mirror that his split from Barbara was ultimately “for the best”.
He added: “To walk away from someone you love and who loves you that much is hard.
“Maybe it was the daftest thing I have done in my life but it was probably the most sensible, too.”
In his book, he added: “Looking back, the days that really stand out for me are those when it was just the two of us. We would switch off our mobile phones and it would be our time. The age gap didn’t help matters in public. When we went to functions I felt uncomfortable when people looked at me, this nobody, and probably thought, ‘He’s with her for the money’.”