Lisa Faulkner says 'bit of banter' is key to 15-year marriage to John Torode

Since they fell in love after meeting on Celebrity MasterChef 15 years ago, Lisa Faulkner and John Torode have become a staple of British TV cooking shows. They tied the knot at 17th-century country estate Aynhoe Park in 2019, and there’s just something about them as a pair, aside from their very obvious kitchen skills, which people root for.

The one person who doesn’t seem to understand their appeal – and she explains as much in the nicest possible way – is Lisa herself. “I honestly have no idea about why there’s such interest,” she says, laughing. “I don’t read anything about us, I certainly don’t have Google alerts set up or anything."

“The closest I’ve come to it is probably at food shows or when people stop us in the street and say, ‘Oh we love you two’, or that they love the shows. Maybe it’s because we genuinely have a lovely relationship? We have a bit of banter but it’s never sniping at each other. We’re just kind to each other, we get on and we look out for each other.”

Recently, it’s been a busy time for Lisa. She is the proud mum of an 18-year-old daughter, and has taken some tentative steps back into the world of acting, while also filming John And Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen for ITV, alongside working on their spin-offs and cookery books.

Given all their projects, we wonder how the pair create a healthy balance between work and play. “We have so much to do separately, and we film about 10 episodes of our show in nine days, so it’s not really that much time together!” Lisa says. “We’re not in each other’s pockets, which I think would make our relationship very different. So, it’s really nice to actually catch up on holidays or when we’re working together.”

Having boundaries is also important, Lisa says, especially in the kitchen. “We cook together, which we really like, and obviously our sort of home office is the kitchen, where we’re constantly cooking, or writing recipes and coming up with ideas.

“So sometimes there are nights when I think, ‘I don’t actually want to cook a recipe that I need to test tonight, I’m going to cook a spag bol.’ It’s about getting a balance.

“In my job, it’s either feast or famine. But when I’ve got nothing on I’ve learnt to enjoy those times – cooking for the family, sitting in the garden, even doing the washing!”

We very much doubt that even Lisa, who turned 53 earlier this year, could have imagined all the good things her winning stint on Celebrity MasterChef would bring her, not least a husband.

Relationship aside, she’s cemented herself as a bonafide expert in the kitchen, holding her own at industry events next to culinary powerhouses such as Michel Roux and Dame Mary Berry (and John, of course). Following the success of John And Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen, which debuted in 2019, her original passion of acting took something of a back seat. But that’s all set to change, smiles Lisa.

“Acting makes my heart beat, it makes me so excited,” she says. “I’m still manifesting a period drama. I did some acting last year, in Harlan Coben’s Missing You, and I absolutely loved it. I haven’t done a period piece for a very, very long time so that’s my bucket-list job.”

There are more pressing things on her to-do list this summer though, starting with John’s 60th birthday this week. A special trip to Cornwall is on the cards (which will be “dog friendly” Lisa hastens to add, so that her beloved pooch Rory can accompany them), full of early morning walks, good food, and plenty of toasts to the birthday boy.

Lisa, who lost her mum Julie to throat cancer when she was just a teenager, also plans to cram in plenty of family time with her 18-year-old daughter Billie, who was adopted by Lisa and her then husband Chris Coghill when she was a baby. In what is a familiar feeling with parents the world over, those years have flown by, she says. “It’s really mad and very surreal, I think it all the time. But she’s so very capable. She’s been travelling and she’s already planning her next adventure. I’m just amazed at her and what she can do. She’s just such an amazing young woman.”

The other important character in Lisa’s life is her beloved Schnoodle dog, Rory. Aged eight, Rory is well and truly Lisa’s furbaby, as she admits, “I love her so, so much, it’s ridiculous!”

The former EastEnders actress has recently become an ambassador for Bella+Duke raw pet food company, and will be hosting a series of celebrity pet owners (and said pets) on a brand new podcast series this summer.

“Rory is really part of our family. I want her to live as long as possible, so I want to give the best I can give her. Raw food doesn’t have to be all or nothing either, even 25 or 50% raw food diet can make a massive impact. I can easily spend my money on a takeaway coffee or a croissant, or make some little changes for Rory – and feed her food that I know will keep her healthy and make her last longer.”

Rory is not only great for sofa snuggles, she admits, but is also hugely important to Lisa’s mental and physical health. The pair walk together every morning “without fail”, she says, adding, “I just love to get out – and get out of my head.” She explains, “I don’t listen to podcasts or music when I’m walking, which I know people think is weird. I like to hear the trees, the grass, the wind, the sounds of my feet on the gravel, the birds. Getting older is a privilege, and I don’t think women have it easy – so that’s often my time.

“I’m not always rainbows and sunshine, believe me, but if you walk, or walk and talk, it helps with anything. I’m a big believer in attitude, too. If I see someone in the street and they’re wearing something lovely, I’ll tell them, because we don’t always lift each other up, and we should.”

Lisa is the ambassador for Bella+Duke and will be encouraging pet owners to try raw pet food, all with 100%natural ingredients. She will also be hosting the brand’s new podcast, featuring special guests and pooches later this summer. See bellaandduke.com

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