Lucy Kennedy opens up on her relationship with husband Richie Governey, as they enter a new era in their marriage and how they’ve stayed connected after 26 years and three children.
Lucy Kennedy at the Virgin Media Television new season schedule launch at the Stella Rathmines, Dublin.(Image: Picture Brian McEvoy)
Lucy Kennedy has revealed that since her three children have grown up, she’s now in the process of finding herself all over again and has rediscovered a new era of her relationship with her husband of 26 years, Richie Governey.
The Living with Lucy star and her husband have three children, Jack (15), Holly (12), and Jess (8) and while Lucy admits that parenting has in many ways gotten harder as her children have grown, one joy of her children becoming more independent is that she and husband Richie have more time with each other than they’ve had in years.
“That is one thing that has gotten easier,” she tells RSVP. “Jack can mind the girls, now a little bit if needs be. Even on holiday this summer, the older two were doing their own thing a little and Jess would hang with them”.
“You nearly need to reintroduce yourself to your husband, “Hey how’s it going, I haven’t hung out with you in ten years!”, she jokes.
“For years when you’ve small kids, you are two ships passing in the night, myself and Rich would joke, it was almost like we’d high five each other as we passed, as once person clocked out almost like ok, passing the baton to you now. But it’s nice, we have more time as an “us” now. We can actually say goodnight to the kids and go and watch TV together and chat.”
The couple have been together for 26 years, first starting dating when they were just 23, and Lucy admits that she still feels that spark all these years later.
Lucy Kennedy married her husband Richard Governey in 2008(Image: Malachy Geelan – 2008/07/12)
“He kind of catches my eye now and again and I still see the 23-year-old,” she says.
And speaking on the success of their nearly three decade long relationship, Lucy says that a key essential for them is their friendship.
“I remember I was given this advice years ago. I think I’d just been dumped, and someone told me, I’m telling you, Lucy, marry your best friend and you will laugh forever,” she explains.
“And it’s so true in all the worries and stresses that life throws at you. If you’re with your best friends, you will get through anything. And I think that has been true for us.”
Lucy also revealed that the couple aren’t necessarily a great fan of date nights, admitting she is very much a home bird, but that they are similar in all the right ways and have a lot of shared values, and that to her is more important than dressing up and going out together.
“We’re not like, let’s do date night, we are not those people. I don’t make an effort. I’m talking to you now in a tracksuit with Sudocream on my face. But we have the exact same foundation,” she explains.
“We have the same morals. We’ve the same sense of humour. We like the same things. We parent very similarly. He is definitely more calm. I am the one that is going to shout. But deep down where it matters we’re very alike, and that’s why we stay connected. But no, I don’t dress up and set up a date. Absolutely not. My idea of a heaven is a bottle of buttery chardonnay and Netflix.”
“I go out reluctantly. I think I’ve always been antisocial deep down,” she admits.
“But maybe it’s because when I’m out, I’m out. There’s nothing I love more than shutting the shutters, putting on my pyjamas, closing the gates and turning off the lights, basically faking my own death and watching telly in my pyjamas.”