Lisa Faulkner and John Torode got the gig of a lifetime when ITV agreed to let them travel the coast of Western Australia looking for yummy food – that’s just one of the perks of being in a relationship with a fellow foodie!
The husband and wife duo embark on a journey across 500 miles of beautiful Western Australia coastline in ITV‘s new series John & Lisa’s Food Trip Down Under.
On their travels, they search for the very best local food and wine as if having an all-expenses trip Down Under wasn’t cushy enough (ignore us, we’re only jealous).
John, an Aussie himself, takes his wife Lisa to the place where his passion for food and cooking began… Along the way, they meet chefs, winemakers, food fanatics and entrepreneurs creating incredible produce in new ways. Anybody else feeling hungry?
As John Torode and Lisa Faulkner launch their new five-part series, we look inside their relationship, including how they met, when they married, and their history of exes.
How and when did Lisa Faulkner and John Torode meet?
TV chefs Lisa Faulkner and John Torode fell in love on the set of Celebrity MasterChef in 2010. Lisa took part in the series, which she went on to win, while John was the judge.
However, they had actually met before – and it certainly wasn’t love at first sight! The pair actually met for the first time way in 1996, 19 years before they started dating.
And Lisa once admitted that she thought the cook was a bit “arrogant” – something John has since been forced to defend! The couple first crossed paths on This Morning, where MasterChef star John was demonstrating his culinary skills and Lisa had just been chatting about her acting career.
According to the Mirror, Lisa was “very excited” to see John cook, but discovered that he was “really arrogant”. She said: “I told him ‘oh that looks really good’ and he just said ‘thanks’.”
John later said he was “completely distracted” by cooking, “rather than by the hottie who was on the sofa”. He also revealed it was his first day cooking live on television.
After meeting again in 2010 when Lisa was on Celebrity MasterChef, the pair started dating shortly after. In fact, John wrote Lisa a letter after she won the show.
Speaking to MailOnline, Lisa revealed that everything changed after John wrote her a letter and asked her out to dinner. She said: “John and I were friends. Neither of us thought of it as anything else until… […] I don’t know how things change, but something does. He asked me on a date. We went out for dinner. Then it was slightly different. I’m really, really happy.”
They were together for a few years before he popped the question to her on Christmas Day 2018. John and Lisa got hitched 10 months later.
Lisa Faulkner and John Torode relationship timeline: When did they get married?
John and Lisa tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at Aynhoe Park in Northamptonshire in the autumn of 2019. Sharing a snap on Instagram of their big day, Lisa gushed: “The happiest day of my life!!! Cue the wedding spam for the next few weeks! Apologies in advance.”
She went on to add: “Yesterday I married the man of my dreams @johntorodecooks and we had the BEST Day EVER, filled with all our family and friends and such love.”
John followed suit, saying on Instagram that Lisa was the girl of his dreams.
Guests included Amanda Holden, Tamzin Outhwaite, Angela Griffin and Emmerdale star Nicola Stephenson. Of course, John’s MasterChef co-star Gregg Wallace was also in attendance.
The newlyweds went on to honeymoon in Mauritius.
Where do Lisa and John film Weekend Kitchen?
Contrary to popular opinion, Lisa Faulkner and John Torode do NOT film their ITV series John & Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen in their own home.
In fact, the show is actually filmed in a studio location, at Television Centre studios in London. However, Lisa insists that’s the only thing that’s not quite real.
Talking to press ahead of the new series, she said: “Whenever we do television together we are just being us. How we are on Weekend Kitchen, for example, is just how we are.
“For this series we got to wear GoPro cameras when we were driving together and were told that that was some of the best material because it was just so natural – with the odd funny remark or a grab of some chocolate from the glovebox! It was just great fun and I hope it inspires others to jump on a plane and discover Western Australia like we did as well.”
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Lisa Faulkner and John Torode relationship: Where do the couple live?
John and wife Lisa live in a huge home in Muswell Hill, North London. Anyone who follows them on Instagram will know they have a pizza oven and BBQ in their garden, while their kitchen has a breakfast bar and teal cabinets.
The kitchen and dining room are open plan, with a wooden dining table near to the glass patio doors that lead out to the garden.
They share their home with Lisa’s daughter and their pet dog Rory!
When are John and Lisa both back cooking together on TV?
John Torode has revealed the pair will be back cooking together very soon.
He said: “We are on ITV a lot in 2024 actually! After this series, we might have something across springtime and the new series of John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen will be back for 11 weeks this autumn.”
Lisa added: “We are so happy to be doing more Weekend Kitchen. We are filming at the moment and it’s set to be another brilliant batch of episodes!”
Do Lisa and John have kids together?
Both Lisa Faulkner and John Torode were married previously, and had children with their former partners. Lisa has an adopted daughter Billie with her ex-husband Chris Coghill.
Aussie chef John, meanwhile, is a dad of four. John’s kids include grown-up sons Casper and Marselle, and teenagers from another relationship, Jonah, 17, and Lulu, 15.
They now describe themselves as a “blended family”. Previously, Lisa revealed that the kids call her the “feeder”.
Who is Lisa Faulkner’s ex husband?
Ex-Spooks star Lisa was once married to former EastEnders actor Chris Coghill. They got hitched in 2005 after co-starring in telly drama Burn It. They adopted daughter Billie, who is now 18, a year later after they wed in 2006.
However, they separated and divorced in 2011.
Chris regularly shares pictures of his daughter on his official Instagram, and the pair maintain a close relationship.
Who is John Torode’s ex-wife?
John was previously married to his former wife Jessica. They married in 2000, and separated in 2011 after more than a decade together. They eventually divorced in 2014.
John and Jessica are parents to Jonah, 19, and 17-year-old Lulu. John also is father to his adult children Casper and Marselle from previous relationships.
What is the relationship age gap between John Torode and Lisa Faulker?
At the time of writing, John Torode is 58 years of age. He was born on July 23, 1965, in Melbourne Australia.
Meanwhile, Lisa Faulkner is London.
So the age gap is seven years.
Read more: Lisa Faulkner and John Torode have a strict rule she enforced on their blended family
John & Lisa’s Food Trip Down Under starts on Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 11.40am on ITV1.
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