We know him best for his work as one of the discerning judges on Masterchef, but Australian-British chef John Torode is a skilled culinary master with another popular show under his belt, John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen.
Alongside his co-host wife Lisa Faulkner, the show’s weekly dose of mouth-watering recipes are almost certainly accompanied by a dose of puppy-eyed affection, with the food loving couple clearly smitten with each other.
The pair initially met while Lisa, a former model and actress, was appearing on Celebrity Masterchef back in 2010 – with a firm friendship forming between them, long before any hint of romance blossomed.
So who exactly did John date previously?
First marriage
Lisa was far from John’s first relationship, as he had previously been married to a woman named Jessica since 2000 and they had two children together, a son and a daughter.
Lisa herself, was also no stranger to a previous relationship, having been married to EastEnders actor Chris Coghill until 2011, with the pair also sharing an adopted daughter named Billie.
The same year as Lisa’s divorce, John and ex-wife Jessica made the decision to separate but it would be three years later in 2014, when their union was finally dissolved in what reportedly took only a matter of seconds at the High Court.
Romance with Lisa
After both Lisa and John had separated from their partners, the pair found solace with each other – several years after they had initially met.
John met Lisa in 2010, when she was competing in the a special celebrity edition of the BBC culinary show Masterchef, something which Lisa always reflected on fondly.
"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," she said at the time.
"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.”
“Cowardly” love confession
Revealing that there had never been anything romantic between them while they were still in a relationship with other people, Lisa later went on to tell the Daily Mail in 2013 about the moment they first became an item.
"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.”
Interestingly, it was revealed that John first confessed his love in a letter, as he didn’t want there to be any awkwardness between the pair in case she spurned his advances, but admitted in hindsight it had been a “cowardly” move.
He told the Daily Mail in 2022, "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."
Thankfully however, taking a risk paid off, and Lisa admitted she felt the same way prompting the couple to begin dating.
Second marriage
Going from strength to strength in their relationship, John and Lisa tied the knot in October 2019, less than a year after John had sweetly proposed on Christmas Day.
Exchanging vows at a stunning Northamptonshire property, the couple’s wedding was a complete family affair, with Lisa’s daughter Billie even serving as her best woman for the occasion, despite being just 13 at the time!
Describing the experience as the “happiest day of her life” Lisa and John have gone from strength to strength ever since.
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