John Torode's tricky love life - speedy divorce to 'cowardly' note to wife Lisa

444     0
John Torode and Lisa Faulkner met while she was competing on MasterChef (Image: Getty Images)
John Torode and Lisa Faulkner met while she was competing on MasterChef (Image: Getty Images)

The secret ingredient to Lisa Faulkner and John Torode's delicious food on their show is their undeniable chemistry, but what you may not have known is that the married couple actually met in a kitchen.

Former actress Lisa, 52, met Aussie chef John, 58, when she appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2010 when Lisa had to serve up dishes for John to judge. However, although he was clearly impressed the culinary star who went on to win the show, she was "petrified" of him and it took John a few years to finally woo her.

The co-hosts of ITV's John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen were both in other relationships when they met, they formed a friendship and Lisa insisted there was nothing romantic between them. But a few years later, when they were both single, John asked Lisa out on a date and they realised they had undeniable chemistry. In 2019, they tied the knot and the rest is history.

John Torode's tricky love life - speedy divorce to 'cowardly' note to wife Lisa qhiqqhiqxxiqxqinvJohn and Lisa met for the first time on Celebrity MasterChef and stayed friends (Getty Images)
John Torode's tricky love life - speedy divorce to 'cowardly' note to wife LisaNow the celebrity couple are besotted with each other and have a cooking show together (WireImage)

Both John and Lisa were married before, with actress Lisa previously wed to Chris Coghill, who played Tony King in EastEnders. The couple adopted a daughter together named Billie. Meanwhile, Australian-British chef John tied the knot with a woman named Jessica in 2000, and they went on to have two children together, a son and a daughter. John and Jessica separated in 2011 but they didn't initially divorce until 2014, when their union was reportedly dissolved in a matter of seconds at the High Court.

In 2010, John met Lisa when she was a contestant on the show and they hit it off immediately, remaining friends after filming. "He was a judge on a show I loved and I was petrified of him. He was brilliant and gave us all tips so you didn't want to let him down," Lisa previously said. "All I could think was, 'That sauce hasn't worked'. I didn't see anything but food for three months. After I won, we did The Good Food Show and stuff. John and I always got on, but I never thought about me and him."

John Torode beams with joy as he receives MBE from Prince WilliamJohn Torode beams with joy as he receives MBE from Prince William

Revealing how they eventually got together, Lisa told the Daily Mail in 2013 that everything changed after John wrote her a letter and asked her out to dinner. "John and I were friends. Neither of us thought of it as anything else until..." she said. "I don't know how things change, but something does. He asked me on a date. We went out for dinner. Then it was slightly different. I'm really, really happy. John and I are having such a nice time but we're taking things slowly. There are lots of other people to consider."

John Torode's tricky love life - speedy divorce to 'cowardly' note to wife LisaJohn Torode admitted he felt 'cowardly' sending Lisa Faulkner a letter to ask her out on a date (ITV)

John has since confessed that his letter for Lisa was "cowardly" but it meant that there would be no awkwardness for him if she didn't want to date him. He told the Daily Mail: "I'd separated from my wife [Jessica] which was awful, and I was reluctant to approach Lisa face to face as I didn't fancy the prospect of her saying no, so I wrote her a letter. If I'd got no response, it wouldn't matter. Cowardly? S***, yeah. I'm as cowardly as they get."

But things worked out in his favour and they began dating before tying the knot. John previously shared the secret to a happy marriage, insisting that it is a properly made bed. Asked what makes their marriage work, John said: "A really well-made bed. You spend lots of time in it! Honestly, the bedroom – having that sanctuary of a place to go to, I think that's really important. And nice towels... Looking after yourself is as important as looking after each other."

Although it probably helps that the pair still have a spark - as Lisa said in an interview: "We really like and fancy each other!" And Lisa has most recently shared how proud she is of her husband, who in February accepted his MBE from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace, before celebrating with a fancy meal. "I was really proud of John," she told OK Magazine. "It's an amazing achievement and the fact he got to meet Prince William! Out of everybody in the royal family, that's who I'd have liked to have met!"

Nia Dalton

Print page

Comments:

comments powered by Disqus