Saturday morning. My mum and I were sitting watching ITV. She has her tea; I got mine. Bustling onto the screen are John and Lisa with their cooking show. Mum goes, “Look at them two. Still mad about each other after all these years.”
She’s right. Are John Torode and Lisa Faulkner still together? Of course they are. They married in October 2019, and it’s been five years since and half the time they’re acting like teenagers.
Back When It All Started – 2010
Right, so picture this. Celebrity MasterChef 2010. Lisa’s in there with all the other celebs, desperately attempting to avoid incinerating her beef Wellington. John is doing his tough judge routine. But anyone who could see could see something brewing.
Lisa won that series. Proper deserved it too. But here’s the crazy bit: they were both married to other people at the time. Lisa had Chris Coghill, the actor. They’d adopted little Billie together. John had his own family setup.
I saw every episode of that show. “Fancies her rotten,” my sister was muttering. But they kept it professional. Did the right thing.
The Waiting Game – 2010 to 2015
For five years, they waited. Five years! Both of the marriages failed; nothing to do with each other, mind. It’s just life happening. 2015 comes along, and they’re both single.
So here’s the bit where John sort of becomes a muppet. Instead of ringing Lisa up like a normal person, he writes her a letter. A letter! In 2015! Who does that?
Now, John calls it his “cowardly” letter. It always makes me laugh. This bloke can reduce Gordon Ramsay to tears on MasterChef, and he’s too scared to ask a woman out face-to-face.
The Letter That Changed Everything
On an episode of Loose Women, Lisa shared the story. Said she’d had that letter from John himself, in his own hand, asking if she fancied dinner. She was chuffing delighted. He’s been thinking he’d call ever since they were both free.
First date? Went brilliant. Second date? Even better. By Christmas 2015, they were absolutely besotted. John’s kids loved her. Lisa’s daughter Billie thought John was ace.
My mate Helen reckons the best relationships happen when you’re not looking. Lisa and John prove her right.
Moving in Together – 2016
They moved in together pretty quickly after that. They weren’t in a rush, but they were no longer teenagers. John was 51, and Lisa was 43. When you know, you know.
Lisa sold her place in North London and moved into John’s house in Smithfield. Proper chef’s kitchen, which made sense. Two people who love cooking, sharing a massive kitchen.
Billie settled in like she’d always lived there. That’s the test, isn’t it? How the kids react. If they’re happy, everyone’s happy.
Also read: Read 10 Most Iconic Love Stories of All Time
The Proposal – 2018
John proposed in December 2018. Took her to their favourite restaurant, got down on one knee. It was nothing fancy, just heartfelt. Lisa cried. Happy tears, obviously.
She showed me the ring once when I bumped into them at a book signing. It was gorgeous but not flashy. Classic, like them. “I never thought I’d get married again,” Lisa told Hello magazine. “But John changed everything.”
Wedding Day – October 24th, 2019
Aynhoe Park in Oxfordshire. Stunning venue. About 50 people who were mainly family and close mates, no celebrity circus.
Lisa wore a beautiful dress, nothing too fancy. John scrubbed up well in his suit. They wrote their vows. Half the guests were crying by the end.
My cousin lives near there. Said the whole village was buzzing about it for weeks after. The local pub was full of people who’d spotted the wedding cars.
Their Show Starts – March 2019
“John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen” launched on ITV just before their wedding. Perfect timing. Watching them on screen, you can see why it works. They take the piss out of each other constantly.
John burns something, and Lisa rolls her eyes. Lisa gets flustered with timings; John just grins and sorts it out. It’s like watching your favourite aunt and uncle having a laugh in their kitchen.
Five Years Married – 2024
John Torode and Lisa Faulkner celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary in October 2024. Lisa posted on Instagram a simple photo of them looking proper happy.
“Five years married, eight years together,” she wrote. “Still feels like yesterday.”
Their Christmas special aired in December 2024. They have the same chemistry, the same laughs, and the same genuine affection. They’re not putting it on for the cameras.
What I Reckon Makes Them Work
I’ve watched loads of celebrity couples come and go. Most of them flame out spectacularly. John and Lisa are different.
First off, they waited. They began with a genuine friendship, and then their relationship gradually evolved. Second, they were both grown-ups when they got together. Lisa was 38 when she won MasterChef; John was 45. Old enough to know what they wanted.
Third, they’ve got shared interests beyond just fancying each other. Both love cooking, both understand the telly world, and both put family first.
The Kids Love It
Billie adores John. Calls him her stepdad with proper pride. John’s children from his previous relationships think Lisa’s brilliant. That’s the real test of a relationship: how everyone’s kids get on.
They don’t plaster the kids all over social media, which I respect. Keep them out of the spotlight; let them be normal teenagers.
My Final Thoughts
Are John Torode and Lisa Faulkner still together? They’re not just together, but they’re properly, genuinely happy. You can’t fake that kind of contentment.
That “cowardly” letter from 2015 turned into one of the best love stories I’ve seen in ages. Two people who found each other later in life, did things right, and are reaping the rewards.
Every Saturday morning when they come on telly, my mum smiles. “There’s my favourite couple,” she says. And honestly? I can see why. In a world full of fake celebrity relationships, John and Lisa Faulkner are the real deal.
Still together in 2025? You bet they are. And long may it continue.
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