The 1% Club host Lee Mack is a TV favourite – but who is his rarely-seen wife?
Comedian Lee has been a regular on screens for decades thanks to his shows such as Not Going Out and The 1% Club – which returns tonight (November 15). Away from the TV shows though, Lee is married to his childhood sweetheart Tara McKillop. The pair are parents to three children and live in a quirky home in Surrey.
But when did Lee and Tara meet? Why was there “friction” at home? And when did his son appear on Not Going Out? Here, ED! is taking a look inside Lee and Tara’s romance…
Lee Mack and wife Tara have been together for decades
The 1% Club host Lee and his wife Tara McKillop met for the first time when they were both studying at Brunel University in 1996. Going from strength to strength, they tied the knot in a private ceremony in 2005.
Although they remain largely private about their personal life, Lee has admitted that some of their friends think they’re a little mismatched.
The topic of Tara came up during an episode of Would I Lie To You? when comic Roisin Conaty made a guest appearance. He went on to joke that his wife is so attractive that Roisin’s sister apparently found it hard to believe they became an item before he became famous.
Lee Mack reveals parenting ‘regret’
Lee and Tara share three kids – Arlo, Louie and Millie – with Lee becoming a dad for the first time at 36.
Speaking to the Big Issue in June 2015, Lee admitted he became a father a little later in life than might be expected. At the time, he reflected on whether he would’ve have changed that to have a family when he was younger.
The Would I Lie To You? star said: “I waited fairly late to have kids. I am 46 and my eldest is 10. Nowadays, 36 isn’t massively late but I would probably have kids earlier because it has been so great.”
Lee also revealed why he felt at that stage of his life that having children may very well be a younger person’s game. He went on to explain: “I now have a three year old – and I have more time but less energy.”
Lee Mack on ‘friction’ at home with wife
In 2017, Lee revealed that he had to be careful writing sex scenes into his hit series Not Going Out for fear of getting into trouble with his real-life wife Tara.
On Dermot O’Leary’s The Nightly Show, Lee revealed that everything that takes place on the show has to have happened in real life. This means, if it hasn’t happened to one of the writers in real life, it can’t go into the show.
“The number one rule is it has to have happened,” he told Dermot. “The problem is that it can cause friction at home when you’re doing a scene involving an act in bed.
“And your wife’s going: ‘No, you can’t do that.’ And you might be sitting at home watching it with your wife, and she’s saying: ‘I cannot believe that you’re talking about this. On screen.'”
When did Lee’s son star on Not Going Out?
Lee’s son Arlo, who was born in 2004, previously appeared in his dad’s sitcom Not Going Out. He was featured in a 2013 episode during the sitcom’s Christmas special.
Despite his son’s cameo, Lee’s family are not exactly dedicated viewers of his telly work…
“They’re really not bothered whether it’s on or not. My wife doesn’t really watch it and although my eldest has just started to, it’s not his favourite show by a long way – and why would it be?” Lee told Radio Times in 2017.
Lee’s quirky home
The family of five live in the village of East Molesey in Surrey, where the average house price is around £900,000.
Lee, real name Lee McKillop, lives in a gorgeous home with lots of quirky features. He invited the Irish Times into his home for a chat, with the reporter letting slip a few details about the not-so-humble abode.
The journalist wrote: “We are sitting in the comfortable room in his home in Surrey, just outside London, where he starts writing at his desk at 7.30am each morning. Nearby is a pinball machine, a pool table set up for a game, and a full-sized Dalek – he once appeared in Doctor Who – whose weaponry is pointing at us.
“His daily routine involves writing all morning before emerging, sometimes to dig in his garden.”
Watch Lee on The 1% Club on Saturday (November 15) at 8:00pm on ITV1.
Read more: 1% Club host Lee Mack on embarrassing on-stage moment that left him ‘dying’
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