John Torode's 'cowardly' letter to wife Lisa Faulkner 'changed everything'

Television chef has a loving on-screen and off-screen relationship with his wife - but his romances haven't always been smooth sailing.

Former actress Lisa, 52, met Aussie star John, 59, on Celebrity MasterChef in 2010. At the time, they were both in other relationships and insisted there was nothing romantic between them. But a few years later, when they were both single, the judge asked Lisa out on a date.

Fast forward to 2019 and they tied the knot at a stunning country estate in Northamptonshire. The couple have gone on to co-host their own show, , which has recently commenced its ninth series. But what was John's love life like before Lisa?

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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. They separated in 2011, but they didn't officially divorce until 2014, when their union was reportedly dissolved in a matter of seconds at the High Court.

Meanwhile, Lisa was previously wed to Chris Coghill, who played Tony King in . The couple adopted a daughter together named Billie. In 2010, Lisa met John 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."

Revealing how they eventually got together, Lisa told the 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 has since confessed that his letter to 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 : "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."

The chef 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."

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