TV chefs John Torode and Lisa Faulkner, who first crossed paths while competing on MasterChef over ten years ago, have since established themselves as a prominent celebrity couple.
John is renowned for his no-nonsense critique on the BBC culinary show but has also charmed viewers with his collaborative show alongside former Brookside actress Lisa.
The programme, “John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen” on ITV, has its roots in the duo’s time on Celebrity MasterChef, where their connection evolved from friendship to romance. Before meeting Lisa, 59-year-old John had been previously married, sharing two children with his ex-wife Jessica.
On the other hand, Lisa was once married to EastEnders’ Chris Coghill, known for his role as Tony King, and together they have an adopted daughter Billie. According to The Mirror, John’s past marriage concluded swiftly at the High Court in 2014 after the couple had separated in 2011.
Despite the blossoming romance that followed, Lisa has maintained that their relationship was strictly platonic while both were still with their former partners. She recounted her trepidation around John during the cooking competition, driven by a desire to impress him and pay heed to his advice.
“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 recollected, focusing solely on her culinary pursuits and oblivious to any romantic sparks. “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.”
Lisa recounted to the Daily Mail in 2013 how a shift occurred in her relationship with John when he penned her a letter, inviting her out for dinner. She reflected: “John and I were friends. Neither of us thought of it as anything else until…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 also shared with the Daily Mail his perspective, admitting that sending a letter was “cowardly” but he wanted to avoid any discomfort if Lisa wasn’t interested.
He explained: “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 couple tied the knot in October 2019, and John has since offered his thoughts on what makes a marriage successful.
He advised: “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.”
Lisa added that a key factor is that they “really like and fancy each other!”
She recently expressed her pride in her husband’s MBE award in February last year, telling 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!”
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