Lisa Faulkner did not expect to find love when she appeared as a contestant on BBC's Celebrity MasterChef in 2010. The former EastEnders actress won the competition and formed a friendship with judge John Torode that eventually blossomed into romance. The couple married in 2019 and now co-host ITV's John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen.
Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Surgery
On July 2, 2026, Faulkner revealed on Instagram that she had undergone surgery two weeks prior after being diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. She stated that she has since received the all-clear from her doctors but still needs radiotherapy. She reassured fans that she is feeling better.
Life-Changing MasterChef Experience
In a 2022 interview with the Express, Faulkner reflected on how Celebrity MasterChef transformed her life. "No, I had absolutely no idea," she said when asked if she knew the show would change her career. "I had no idea it was going to change my career. So much that I was then going to start cooking and then, you know, John and I being together. It's just so weird how the world works!"
Balancing Acting and Cooking
Faulkner continues to act, with roles in Brookside, Holby City, and EastEnders. She explained her shift to television cooking: "I'm very lucky to do both, and recently I've been doing some more acting as well. But I think we live in a world where - years and years ago, you only had one career and you didn't stray off the path - but you can't just have that one career anymore." She added, "Life doesn't work like that - especially not as a 50-year-old woman in the acting game. There's not lots of work and so I've actually been very lucky in that I love to cook, I really love it."
Family Life and Blended Family
Faulkner and Torode have a blended family. Faulkner is mother to adopted daughter Billie, while Torode has children Casper and Marselle from his first marriage, and Jonah and Lulu from another relationship. Faulkner emphasized the importance of family dinners for "proper conversation" with their teenage children.
