Coronation Street legend Maureen Lipman has spoken candidly about her marriage to David Turner and finding love after experiencing profound loss.
Finding Love Later in Life
The 79-year-old actress wed her partner in an intimate ceremony at the end of last year. She has been in a relationship with David Turner for several years, following the death of her previous partner, Guido Castro, in 2021, with whom she shared 13 years.
During her appearance on Wednesday's (May 6) Good Morning Britain, Lipman discussed discovering love in her later years. Kate Garraway, whose husband Derek Draper died in 2024, commended her openness, saying: "You've done a huge service because you've talked a lot about your grief, which was very real, and now finding love. I think for many people who have suffered loss, you've been very kind to me personally, it's a wonderful story of finding love at a later stage in life."
Maureen responded: "It can happen to you, it can. It is very wonderful, and I don't want to be smug because I would wish it for everybody on earth, but you know, a nice man and a wonderful family. Nothing stays the same, so you have to be prepared for change."
Previous Marriage and Grief
The actress was previously married to Jack Rosenthal for three decades until his tragic death from cancer in 2004. They shared two children. Lipman has been candid about her bereavement, telling a magazine in 2020: "I found it almost impossible to grieve because my nature is to make people laugh. And then, I'd feel terrible about the fact I didn't look like I was grieving enough."
The 'Joke' Proposal
Revealing the story behind their engagement, Lipman disclosed that she was the one who proposed. Host Ed asked about the Jewish holiday Tu B'Av, a day when women can propose to men, and whether she got down on one knee. She replied: "Honestly, Ed, you believe everything you read! Yes, I did. We were on a train, I'd been with David for a year or so. He told me this fact, he'd quite erudite about his faith, and so I just, for a joke, slid under the table and said, 'Will you marry me?'"
When David questioned whether she was being genuine, Maureen admitted she wasn't entirely certain, though what started as a light-hearted jest appeared to blossom into something far more meaningful.
Good Morning Britain is available to watch on ITVX.
