Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen Brings His Poppy Tribute to James Martin’s Saturday Morning on Remembrance Weekend
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen appeared on James Martin’s Saturday Morning on Saturday 7 November 2026, using his guest slot on ITV1 to talk about his work with the Royal British Legion on Remembrance weekend. The designer, 61, spoke about the bespoke poppy pattern he created for the charity’s Poppy Shop, a project he has now taken on for a third consecutive year.
The appearance aired at 9:30am on ITV1, hours before the Festival of Remembrance on BBC One later the same evening. It gave the weekend’s television schedule a clear thread, with the poppy at the centre of both programmes and a working designer explaining what the symbol means to him.
| Detail | Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen on James Martin’s Saturday Morning — Quick Reference Summary |
|---|---|
| Guest | Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, interior designer and television presenter |
| Programme | James Martin’s Saturday Morning |
| Channel and time | ITV1, Saturday 7 November 2026, 9:30am |
| Occasion | Remembrance weekend |
| Charity project | Bespoke poppy pattern for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Shop, third consecutive year |
| Design inspiration | A painting of three poppies, inspired by Cecil Beaton and René Gruau, nodding to early-1950s couture |
| Previous year’s design | An Art Deco take on the poppy |
| Where the money goes | Every penny of profit supports the Armed Forces community |
| Evening viewing | Festival of Remembrance on BBC One, Saturday 7 November 2026 |
| On the menu | Cured trout, popcorn prawns and ponzu-dressed tuna |
A Third Year of Poppies for the Royal British Legion
For the third year running, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has created a bespoke poppy pattern for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Shop. Every penny of profit from the pattern goes to support the Armed Forces community, which makes the design a working piece of fundraising rather than a one-off television talking point.
This year’s design began as a painting of three poppies inspired by Cecil Beaton and René Gruau. It nods to early-1950s couture, the moment when wartime austerity started giving way to a new optimism, and it follows last year’s Art Deco take on the poppy. The progression shows a designer returning to the same symbol each year and finding a fresh way to present it.
The timing matters. Remembrance weekend places the poppy in front of millions of people at once, and a Saturday morning audience is exactly the group likely to be buying poppies, attending services or watching the evening’s Festival of Remembrance. A pattern that people can actually buy turns that attention into support.
From Changing Rooms Fame to Saturday Morning Television
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has been in the public eye for decades after rising to fame on the BBC’s home makeover show Changing Rooms in the 1990s, where he became known for bold designs and his love of MDF. The programme made him one of British television’s most recognisable designers, and he has stayed in demand ever since.
More recently he was a contestant on Bear Grylls’ Netflix show Celebrity Bear Hunt, and he presented the four-part series Outrageous Homes with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. His appearance on James Martin’s Saturday Morning fits that same pattern of a designer who moves easily between homes, gardens and the studio kitchen.
Away from television, he and his wife Jackie have been together for more than 40 years. The couple share two daughters, Hermione and Cecile, and four grandchildren, and the family live together in their Cotswold mansion, with their grown-up daughters, their husbands and their children all under the same roof.
Why the Three-Poppy Painting Carries Extra Weight This Year
The choice of three poppies, painted with Cecil Beaton and René Gruau in mind, connects the design to the glamour of the early 1950s. That was the era when Britain began to move beyond wartime austerity, and the reference gives the pattern a sense of optimism that suits a Remembrance weekend as well as a fashion story.
It also suits the designer. Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has always believed that a good pattern can say something, and a poppy design that carries its own history does exactly that. The brooch on a lapel becomes a thing of beauty as well as a mark of respect, which is the point he made on the programme.
James Martin kept the food suitably elegant for his guest. Cured trout made a refined start, while popcorn prawns brought crunch alongside ponzu-dressed tuna, a sharp and zingy combination that should go down well with someone who has never met a bold choice he did not like.
A Full Day of Remembrance Television
The Festival of Remembrance on BBC One later the same evening completes a Saturday when the poppy is front and centre. The morning show sets the tone, and the evening ceremony gives the weekend its formal moment of reflection.
It has been a busy week for British television. Judi Dench also made headlines this week with a memoir revelation about Daniel Craig, while James Blunt’s new album Airplane Mode arrived on Friday 6 November. The Llewelyn-Bowen appearance sits comfortably among those stories, as a lighter, more hopeful note on a weekend built around remembrance.
For viewers, the practical details are simple. James Martin’s Saturday Morning aired on ITV1 at 9:30am on Saturday 7 November 2026, and the Poppy Shop pattern is available through the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Shop, with every penny of profit going to the Armed Forces community.
What the Headlines Get Wrong
One claim doing the rounds online treats the poppy pattern as a one-off television prop. It is not. This is the third consecutive year Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has designed a bespoke pattern for the Poppy Shop, and the profits support the Armed Forces community.
Another suggestion is that the designer only works in interiors. His television record runs from Changing Rooms in the 1990s through Celebrity Bear Hunt and Outrageous Homes, and his charity design work sits alongside that career rather than apart from it.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen appear on James Martin’s Saturday Morning?
He appeared on Saturday 7 November 2026, with the show airing at 9:30am on ITV1.
What is the Royal British Legion poppy pattern he designed?
It is a bespoke poppy pattern for the charity’s Poppy Shop, designed for a third consecutive year. This year’s version began as a painting of three poppies inspired by Cecil Beaton and René Gruau.
Where does the money from the Poppy Shop pattern go?
Every penny of profit goes to support the Armed Forces community.
Who is Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s wife?
His wife is Jackie Llewelyn-Bowen. The couple have been together for more than 40 years and share two daughters, Hermione and Cecile, and four grandchildren.
What time is the Festival of Remembrance on?
The Festival of Remembrance airs on BBC One on the evening of Saturday 7 November 2026, after the morning show.
