Andrew Lloyd Webber's 3 wives, 'inevitable' affair and sex life-ending illness
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber is known for composing incredible musicals that often feature breathtaking love stories, but away from the stage his own romantic life has at times been just as dramatic.
The 75-year-old composer, who is known for his work on iconic musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Evita, has been married three times over the years.
Kensington-born Andrew married his first wife, Sarah Hugill on July 24, 1971, and they were together for 12 years. During their marriage, they welcomed two children, Imogen "Imo" Lloyd Webber and Nicholas "Nick" Lloyd Webber.
Andrew and his first wife Sarah Hugill at the opening night of Jesus Christ Superstar (South Coast Press/REX/Shutterstock)
The composer has been married three times (Getty Images)The pair first met at a party in Christ Chruch, when Andrew was 21 years old and Sarah was "a slip of a 16-year-old schoolgirl", according to an extract from his candid memoir, Unmasked, that was published in the Daily Mail.
He revealed how it didn't take long for him to fall in love with Sarah and recalled their first date at a bistro where she ordered "ludicrously small, simple things" as she didn't know whether they were splitting the bill.
Andrew Lloyd Webber gives heartbreaking update on his son amid cancer battle
The two went on to spend more and more time together, Andrew had a flat in Earls Court which was near her school, and quickly gave her a spare key.
He claims the love he felt for Sarah inspired him to write 'fast' and 'furiously' while working on Jesus Christ Superstar.
"I proposed to Sarah in late 1970, which was a stupid formality; we had long presumed we would get hitched as soon as she legally could," he said.
They had a "simple" but "beautiful" wedding and he claims Sarah was 'glowing' despite him spilling champagne all over her wedding dress.
However, as they left their reception to head on their honeymoon, the reality of the bride's tender age hit home when she began crying.
"I pulled the car over and took her in my arms as the reality of what I had done hit me. I had taken a girl aged barely 18, straight out of school, and propelled her away from her family into a new life that happened to include being the wife of the composer of the first British musical to premiere on Broadway."
Andrew worked with a number of 'gorgeous' women over the years, including Arlene Phillips and Stephanie Lawrence (Getty Images)The couple welcomed their first child, Imogen, in 1977 and Nicholas was born in 1979.
Andrew describes Sarah as being a "supermum" who allowed him to take on every career opportunity thrown his way.
However, professional opportunities weren't the only things that kept him busy. Soon, the father-of-two started an affair with one of the "gorgeous-looking singers" starring in his smash-hit musical Cats.
Details of Andrew's relationship with Sarah Brightman were also revealed in Unmasked, in which he says it was "inevitable" that he would have a "serious affair" at some point.
Andrew Lloyd Webber 'shattered' as son Nick, 43, dies after brave cancer battle
He and the singer met when she auditioned for Cats in the early 1980s and they were both married to other people at the time.
However, it wasn't until four years later that Andrew decided to cast her as the star of Phantom of the Opera.
The pair started their relationship while on a brief trip to northern Italy, and during a drive from Milan to Portofino they stopped at a cafe for lunch and talked for hours.
By the time they finally reached Portofino, Andrew claims he was "in love".
"I loved talking music and I loved the looks I got from the waiters in our deserted hotel. And of course, I loved the sex," he confessed in his book.
Things moved speedily between the pair and by the end of the trip they both knew they wanted to be together, but didn't know what to do about their marriages.
They ultimately decided to introduce one another to their mothers and see if they "survived the test", if all went well, then they would leave their spouses.
"It took two false starts before I told my wife I was leaving her," Andrew recalled. "If someone can be both devastated yet resigned, that's what she was. There were moments when I wavered."
He went on to claim that Sarah suggested she could look the other way and let him have a relationship with the singer under the radar in order to keep their marriage intact, but Andrew knew he couldn't do that.
So he left and they got divorced in November 1983.
Andrew had an affair with singer Sarah Brightman and left his first wife for her (Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)Shortly after in March 1984, Andrew married Sarah Brightman, with the pair tying the knot in secret at a registry office in Kingsclere.
Their nuptials occurred on the same day that Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, and Princess Diana attended the opening night of Starlight Express.
Before the show, Andrew lined up to be presented to the royals but there were fears that his 'mistresses' shouldn't be presented to the Queen.
However, those backstage were left gobsmacked when Andrew introduced Sarah to the monarch as the new Mrs Lloyd Webber.
Their romance was dramatic but didn't stand the test of time, with their marriage ending after six years in January 1990.
Sarah told People that the end of their relationship was "not something [she] either wish for or have sought".
She vowed to continue to have a professional association with her ex and the pair have remained friends.
A few months after the end of his second marriage, rumours began swirling that Andrew had grown close to equestrian Madeleine Gurdon, who rode in Princess Anne's set.
The pair met in 1989 through mutual friends at a time when his marriage to Sarah had become "rocky".
They later wed in February 1991 in Westminster and went on to have three children, Alastair (1992), William (1993), and Isabella (1996).
Andrew and his third wife Madeleine Gurdon (WireImage)
Andrew had three children with Madeleine, including Isabella (pictured) (PA)While Andrew might have enjoyed his time with the various beautiful women he's been with, his sex life changed drastically in 2009 when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The composer subsequently had to have his prostate removed as a preventative measure, leaving him impotent.
However, in 2011 he explained that while he wasn't 'Cassanova Volume II' he wasn't 'completely out of call to combat'.
"In truth, I never had a high sex drive, never had a load of affairs - an awful lot of one's sex drive goes into music anyway," he told the Daily Mail.
"There are times when a lot of people go to bed saying, 'OK darling, let’s have some sex tonight.' But I'm more likely to say, 'I'm awfully sorry darling, I've got this fantastic tune in my head and I'll see you when I've finished it.'"
Andrew has told how Madeleine was a brilliant support to him during his cancer journey.
Andrew's eldest son Nick tragically died in March 2023 (Alan Davidson/REX/Shutterstock)Aside from his own health struggle, Andrew has also had to deal with his own son's "ghastly" cancer ordeal.
Nick tragically passed away aged 43 in March 2023 after an 18-month battle with gastric cancer.
"I am shattered to have to announce that my beloved elder son Nick died a few hours ago in Basingstoke Hospital," Andrew said in an emotional statement.
"His whole family is gathered together and we are all totally bereft. Thank you for all your thoughts during this difficult time."
Nick, like his father, also had a career in musical theatre and was nominated for a Grammy for a musical theatre album alongside Andrew, Greg Wells, and David Zippel for Cinderella.
He worked on the BBC One series Love, Lies, and Records and scored the 2021 feature film The Last Bus.
He was married to viola player Polly Wiltshire, who he tied the knot with in 2018.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
