Janet Street-Porter has revealed that she has quietly married for the fifth time, surprising both her fellow Loose Women panellists and viewers with the unexpected announcement live on air.
The 79-year-old TV personality shared the news during Tuesday’s show, explaining that she had been keeping the wedding a secret. Janet, who has been in a long-term relationship with Peter Spanton since 1999, announced that the couple had tied the knot over the weekend.
Speaking cheerfully to viewers, Janet said she and Peter — along with their dog, Badger — had married on Saturday. She joked that she had “saved the best until last,” before signing off with her trademark humour.
The reveal followed a tease earlier in the programme, with host Kaye Adams hinting that a big announcement was coming. Janet then appeared via video link alongside her new husband and their dog, much to the delight of the panel. Co-stars Brenda Edwards, Sue Cleaver and Nadia Sawalha were quick to congratulate her, while Kaye pointed out that Peter is Janet’s fifth husband. The ceremony took place in Great Yarmouth.
Peter Spanton is well known in the hospitality world, having run and owned the popular Vic Naylor’s bar and restaurant in Clerkenwell during the 1980s and 1990s. After selling the business in 2005, he went on to launch his own drinks company, Peter Spanton Drinks, specialising in tonics and mixers.
Janet has been open about her eventful love life over the years. She was first married to Tim Street-Porter from 1967 to 1974 and kept his surname as she began building her media career. She later married Time Out publisher Tony Elliott, though the marriage ended after two years.
Her third marriage was to filmmaker Frank Cvitanovich, which lasted from 1979 to 1981. In 1997, Janet married David Sorkin in Las Vegas, but the couple separated two years later, in 1999.
Reflecting on her relationships in a previous interview with The Guardian, Janet once said she felt she understood men well after years of marriages and long-term partnerships. She joked that the men in her life all shared one thing in common — gratitude.