TV chef James Martin has revealed the "spur of the moment" gift that led to a breakup between him and his then-partner Barbara Broccoli.

The presenter, who is best known for hosting Saturday Morning with James Martin and Saturday Kitchen, was in a relationship with the Hollywood producer for four-and-a-half years before they parted ways.

The 51-year-old said he was very much in love with Barbara, who worked on the James Bond films, but split up with her after she tried to buy him a £180,000 Aston Martin as a spontaneous gift.

James Martin reveals why he split up with Hollywood producer girlfriend

While James Martin had enjoyed plenty of success as a TV chef, he realised that there was an imbalance between the two, leading to suspicions that the relationship could never work.

The two met at a charity auction and instantly clicked, spending nearly five years together until their break-up in 2008.

Recounting her extreme generosity, James said she had bought him three Picassos and a Lowry painting of Whitsable.

Discussing the £180,000 Aston Martin, he told the Daily Mail: "It wasn’t as if it was my birthday or Christmas – it was just a spur of the moment thought. 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’."

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He added: "It was a defining moment in our relationship. Deep down, I knew there was always going to be an imbalance."

However, he said that Barbara was "the first real love of my life" and shared that it was hard to walk away, admitting: "Maybe it was the daftest thing I have done in my life but it was probably the most sensible, too."

After the split, James went on to date former Miss England Sally Kettle before dating producer Louise Davies, who he had met on Celebrity Who Wants To Be A Millionaire in 2011 - they split in December.