Former Countdown star Carol Vorderman, 62, is embracing single life with a series of 'special friends' rather than a serious partner. The television presenter, who recently announced her departure from BBC Radio Wales, has been married twice and now enjoys a casual dating arrangement with strict rules.
Vorderman's first marriage to Royal Navy officer Christopher Mather in 1985 ended shortly after she performed 'It's Raining Men' at the wedding reception. She joked on BBC Radio Wales in 2018 that the performance might have caused the split. She later married management consultant Patrick King in 1990, with whom she has two children, Kate and Cameron. The couple divorced in 2000, a decision Vorderman has described as a regret.
Now, Vorderman maintains relationships with several single men she calls 'special friends', a system she has followed for a decade. She revealed on Michelle Visage's Rule Breakers podcast that she has been in long-term arrangements with some for up to 11 years. She emphasised that she is not interested in one-night stands and that all her friends are single adults.
One key rule is that none of her special friends visit her home. She told The Times: 'They never come to my house. I'm not dumb!' She also explained that the men know about each other but she does not inquire about their other relationships. Vorderman described her current romantic life as 'the icing on the cake', adding that she does not want to settle down with anyone.
