Royal butler Paul Burrell's complex love life and cancer spotted on I'm A Celeb

11 December 2023 , 19:30

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Paul has weathered many ups and downs in life (Image: ITV)

As Paul Burrell strips off in the name of cancer awareness for ITV's The Real Full Monty: Jingle Balls, we take a look at the royal butler turned media personality's life behind the scenes.

A self-described 'rock' and close confidante to the late Princess Diana, Paul is best known for his lengthy career serving members of the Royal family, having first found employment as a Buckingham Palace footman at the tender age of just 18. Many Royal watchers may not be aware of the 65-year-old's various ups and downs beyond the palace gates, however, including his turbulent love life, and painful cancer diagnosis.

Paul and Maria were married for 32 years (Daily Mirror)

Marriage that sent him 'to hell and back'

It was while working at Buckingham Palace that Paul first locked eyes with his now ex-wife Maria Cosgrove, who was part of Prince Philip's staff at the time. After dating for a while, they tied the knot in 1982, with Paul knowing that he 'wanted to be married and wanted a family too'.

Derbyshire-born Paul had always known he was attracted to both men and women and says his Maria entered their marriage with 'her eyes wide open'. Speaking previously with This Morning about his sexuality, Paul revealed: "Did she know? Well, she knew of me in the Palace and she knew my lifestyle in the Palace... Yes, I was attracted to men and she knew that, but I was also attracted to women. My golden years were marrying Maria and having the boys, I will never regret that or change that in any way. That's who I am."

The couple went on to welcome two sons and enjoyed 32 years of marriage together. Everything changed however when Paul met corporate lawyer Graham Cooper on a train in the late 2000s, and quickly realised he'd met 'the one'. Paul told the Mirror: "When I saw Graham, I knew. And I thought, 'If I let you go, if I let you leave this train, I may never see you again. I'm not willing to take the chance.'"

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Although Paul and Maria publicly separated in 2016, it's thought that they had been living apart for some time before their announcement. Mere weeks after the former butler came out as gay, Paul and Graham said 'I do' in 2017, at a ceremony held at the Linthwaite Hotel in Bowness, Cumbria. Maria was reportedly left devastated when she learned of their engagement, and both she and Paul wept together when he broke the news.

Paul knew Graham was 'the one' from their very first meeting

Paul continued: "Myself and Maria have been to hell and back. Our marriage lasted 32 years, and I still want to be there for her. We cried when I told Maria I was marrying Graham. And she said, 'Does that mean we'll never be together as a family again?' I said, 'No, it doesn't mean that'. She said, 'You could lose your sons. You'll lose them because they won't understand', but she was wrong."

Speaking ahead of his wedding to Graham, which was attended by both his sons, Paul said: "It's time to open another chapter, and I hope that the last 20 years, this emotional roller-coaster of mine, will actually end very happily. So all you dads out there who may be struggling in the same way that I did, believe that there is hope and a happy ending for you too. Be honest with your family, sit down; explain to them every step of the way, you won't lose them. I was afraid I might lose my family but you don't in the end. If you have children, you'll always be their dad and you'll always be connected to the mother of your children, so have faith in that and know that if you build it that way it'll be strong and you can be like an extended family."

Paul claims that I'm A Celebrity 'literally' saved his life (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Cancer battle and recent health update

Paul was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year, completing his radiotherapy treatment earlier this year. He credits I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! for 'literally' saving his life, as he had to undergo a 'full MOT' before appearing on the South Africa-based All Stars special version of the show. During their compulsory checks, medics noticed raised levels of PSA in his blood - a chemical produced by the prostate gland, alerting him that something was amiss.

Thankfully, during a November appearance on Lorraine, Paul declared that he is now cancer-free, revealing: "Well, I'm really happy to tell you Lorraine that I went to see my consultant last week, and she gave me the all clear. So my numbers came down from originally something like 10 to 0.06, it's good news. I will continue with the hormone therapy which is a bit of a pain because I am putting on weight and I am more emotional than usual, and the hot sweats."

Whatever people living with cancer need to ask about cancer, work, money or life. The big things and the small stuff. Macmillan is at the end of the phone and online to provide support. Call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00 or visit macmillan.org.uk and ask anything.

You can catch The Real Full Monty: Jingle Balls at 9pm, November 11 on ITV

Julia Banim