Rick Stein shares initial doubt he had about second wife before 'five-year long' affair
Rick Stein has opened up about the awkward first encounter he had with his second wife Sarah Burns, before marrying her.
The 78-year-old first met Sarah, 20 years his junior, in her native country Australia when she was working as a publicist for a competition he was judging.
Ahead of meeting face-to-face, the pair had spoken on the phone professionally to discuss travel arrangements.
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Previously discussing their calls, Rick described her as "breezy with an abrupt sense of humour".
After arriving Down Under and meeting her in person, the chef said Sarah's stern tone sparked doubts about them working together.
He recalled, mimicking her voice: "She said, 'We leave tomorrow at quarter to eight, don't be late'. So, I didn't think that was going to end up particularly well."
As they continued to spend more time together however, the chef soon realised they had more in common than he initially thought and grew to like her personality.
"I suppose the thing about her was, she came from a very similar background to me. She'd had plenty of alcoholics in her family, as indeed did I," he explained.
"So, there was just a sort of feeling that I was talking to somebody that came from same sort of emotional background, I suppose.
"So, we got on very well," he added on the Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth podcast last year.
Rick and Sarah soon became romantically involved, despite him still being married to his long-term wife Jill, with whom he has three children with.
Their affair, which was long-distance at times, was kept under wraps for five years, until Jill reportedly stumbled across their phone calls and confronted the pair.
Following their split, he returned to Sarah and they tied the knot in 2011.
Previously addressing the scandal, Rick told The Times magazine that his and Jill's marriage had fizzled out due to the demands of their business.
"The business was eating us alive," he shared. "What happened had nothing to do with Jill. It's more to do with the nature of the restaurant business - it's just so b****y demanding."
He added: "We didn't have a life outside the business and we kind of fell out of love. I'd never [been unfaithful] before and I certainly won't do it again, that's for sure. I'm just so happy now.
"Obviously, it's not great for the person who has been left, but it's not great for you either."