{"id":272654,"date":"2026-02-07T17:55:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T17:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/272654\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T17:55:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T17:55:16","slug":"lisa-faulkner-facing-challenge-in-marriage-with-masterchef-husband-john-torode","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/272654\/","title":{"rendered":"Lisa Faulkner facing challenge in marriage with MasterChef husband John Torode"},"content":{"rendered":"

Actress Lisa Faulkner has opened up about the secret to her successful marriage to John Torode, their quiet weekends together and her new venture as she steps onto the stage for the first time in over two decades<\/p>\n

07:00, 07 Feb 2026Updated 08:03, 07 Feb 2026<\/p>\n

\"Lisa<\/p>\n

Lisa and John have been together for over a decade(Image: Gareth Cattermole\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Together for over a decade now, actress Lisa Faulkner and her Australian husband John Torode both live and work side by side. For some, that would be a recipe for disaster \u2014 but for these two, it\u2019s perfect.<\/p>\n

The pair met on Celebrity MasterChef four years before they began dating and tied the knot in 2019. They bonded over their mutual love of cooking and it still unites them. It has even seen them present their own show together, John And Lisa\u2019s Weekend Kitchen .<\/p>\n

Describing why their relationship has endured, Lisa, who is currently on a UK theatre tour of Single White Female, tells us: \u201cWe have each other\u2019s backs. He\u2019s fantastic at what he does – the kindest, most wonderful man and very funny. It\u2019s so lovely to see him shine, and I think he feels the same about me.\u201d<\/p>\n

She adds, with a smile, \u201cTo cook with John, and to do our cooking shows together, it\u2019s so great. He\u2019s a proper chef and I\u2019m a home cook, but we teach each other different bits. I learn so much from him. That\u2019s the key. I really respect him and what he does.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Lisa has a ‘girl gang’ who she credits with getting her through the bad and the good(Image: angelagriffin\/Instagram)<\/p>\n

\"Lisa<\/p>\n

Lisa and John married in 2019<\/p>\n

Their natural chemistry and occasional cheeky banter are what make their cosy cooking shows so relatable. Indeed, Lisa admits, \u201cWe don\u2019t script anything. When people come around to ours, they say it\u2019s like watching an episode of our show.\u201d<\/p>\n

They may come from very different culinary backgrounds, but there\u2019s one dish where Lisa reckons she beats John hands down. \u201cI cook roast dinners better. Though he did make a very good one last weekend. Usually my Yorkshire puddings and my roast potatoes have the edge \u2014 but his were amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

When they have a day off from their busy schedules, Lisa says they enjoy quiet, lazy mornings in bed, dog walks with their \u201clittle ray of sunshine\u201d, female miniature Schnauzer Rory, and of course, a spot of cooking.<\/p>\n

\u201cUsually I love to be up early when the sun comes up and take the dog for a walk \u2014 but now my days off start slightly later. John and I have a nice cup of tea in bed, chat about the day, then take the dog for a walk and buy the food we want to cook, come home and cook and watch TV,\u201d she says, \u201cIt\u2019s simple pleasures.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The couple work and live together, which Lisa says is a dream(Image: Ken McKay\/ITV\/Shutterstock)<\/p>\n

Right now, there\u2019s little time for days like those as Lisa, 53, is busy performing in Single White Female . Her first stage role in over two decades, it\u2019s taking her away from London and 60-year-old former MasterChef host John \u2014 but the pair are making it work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have Sundays and Mondays off, so my lovely John has picked me up every Saturday night so far from where I\u2019ve been and we drive back chatting in the car,\u201d she says. \u201cHe\u2019s come to see the show twice in two weeks. We have two days together, then he packs me off with lovely soup and noodles.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Lisa\u2019s case, absence is certainly making the heart grow fonder. She says, \u201cI really miss him because we normally spend so much time together. Suddenly, we\u2019re apart \u2014 this is new. He\u2019s been so supportive, though. He said when I got the offer, \u2018You\u2019ve got to take this job, it\u2019s going to be great for you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Someone else she\u2019s missing deeply while on tour is her daughter Billie, 19, who she adopted at 17 months old with her ex-husband, actor Chris Coghill. Now Billie is an adult, Lisa has more freedom, but their bond remains as strong as ever.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving my daughter when I did, I made the choice to be at home more and not travel as far for work. I didn\u2019t take as many acting jobs as they\u2019d have taken me away from her. I wanted to be there for my girl. Trying to balance being present as a mum and present in your job, it\u2019s not easy,\u201d she reflects.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut now it\u2019s amazing because she can come to see me on tour. It\u2019s been so cool to have her at the show. I have a brilliant relationship with Billie. I just love her to the moon and back. To see her grow into this incredible young woman has been amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

As well as her family, Lisa has a close network of girlfriends who she chats to regularly and who \u201csupport each other completely\u201d. Her girl gang includes actresses Angela Griffin, Sarah Parish, Amanda Holden<\/a>, Nicola Stephenson and Tamzin Outhwaite.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a besties chat we use all the time. We\u2019re all doing different things but we speak nearly every day. We\u2019ve got such a lovely girl group,\u201d Lisa says. \u201cThey\u2019re all coming to see me on tour, but they\u2019re not allowed to tell me when. What a powerful group of women. I feel very blessed to call them my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lisa<\/p>\n

Lisa and her husband John present their Weekend Kitchen show together(Image: ITV)<\/p>\n

When things get tough, Lisa knows she can lean on them, without question. \u201cFemale friendships are really very special,\u201d she tells us. \u201cWe may be in an industry that looks shiny and glossy, but anyone who really knows it knows exactly what it\u2019s like. They\u2019re kind, real people. We support each other and hold each other up.\u201d<\/p>\n

She adds, \u201cI\u2019m lucky to have people who hold your hand through thick and thin. Whatever ups and downs are happening, they\u2019ll be like, \u2018We\u2019re on our way, with tea and cake.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Girlie weekends are important for her little gang too, she says. \u201cWe do a weekend at least once a year where we all sit around in our pyjamas, make food and just chat for hours. We literally don\u2019t come up for air for three days.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that solid support network around her, Lisa is treading the boards for the first time in 21 years. Single White Female is an adaptation of the hit 90s psychological thriller starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh as her obsessive roommate. It follows the story of recently divorced mum Allie, played by Lisa, who is balancing being a single parent with the launch of her new tech business.<\/p>\n

Needing a lodger, Allie is joined by Hedy, played by former Coronation Street star Kym Marsh<\/a>. But soon their intertwining lives have chilling consequences for both.<\/p>\n

Of taking the leap after all this time, Lisa says, \u201cI was a bit reticent at first, but I think the universe hands you things at the right time. It came from the sky and I\u2019m really pleased it did. To be in front of live audiences, to meet people and see all the cities I don\u2019t really see is quite a buzz.<\/p>\n

\"Lisa<\/p>\n

Lisa in Holby City alongside two of her best friends to this day, Angela Griffin and Nicola Stephenson(Image: BBC)<\/p>\n

\"Lisa<\/p>\n

Lisa was in Holby City in the early 2000s(Image: BBC)<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve acted since I was 19 and it\u2019s something that makes my heart beat like nothing else. Here, I get to do it every night and it\u2019s different every time. I love the energy of this production.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite her experience, Lisa isn\u2019t immune to nerves. \u201cI do have a few bubbles of nerves. On the first night, Kym was amazing. She came and held my hand on the side in the wings before I went on. She was like, \u2018I\u2019m here, I\u2019ve got you.\u2019 I\u2019m so lucky to have her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working with a small company on her new theatre show has been a blessing for Lisa. \u201cWe all get into a circle, hold hands and say affirmations and repeat them back to one another. It\u2019s something Kym had done on one of her shows and it\u2019s a really lovely thing. I will take it with me everywhere,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

And getting to know Kym, she says, has been one of the greatest gifts. \u201cShe\u2019s a joy. We get on so well. She\u2019s worked with my best friend Angela Griffin, who told me I\u2019d love her, and it\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for what\u2019s next, Lisa has some exciting projects in the works, but is keeping schtum on those for now. Meanwhile, she admits she\u2019s extremely proud of herself for taking on this latest adventure. \u201cIt\u2019s terrifying and it\u2019s scary \u2014 but I\u2019m jumping in headfirst.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Single White Female UK And Ireland tour runs until 13 June 2026. For tickets, see swfonstage.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Like this s tory? F or more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok <\/a>, Snapchat <\/a>, Instagram <\/a>, Twitter <\/a>, Facebook <\/a>, YouTube <\/a>and Threads <\/a>.<\/p>\n