Bargain Hunt expert James Lewis has revealed he married a man 18 years his junior, Ed Otter, in an intimate ceremony last September. The 53-year-old TV antiques auctioneer, who previously split from his wife Annabelle, tied the knot with just 50 guests, including his 17-year-old daughter Arabella from his first marriage.
Speaking at the Born Free Foundation's Footsteps to Freedom Ball in London, Lewis said he met Otter 15 years ago playing pool in a Derbyshire pub. 'Was it love at first sight? Pretty much, yeah,' he said. The couple considered eloping to Yellowstone National Park but decided to include Arabella, who calls both men 'Dad'.
Lewis, who has survived two cardiac arrests, revealed his heart rate soared to over 250 beats per minute on his wedding day. His cardiologist warned him to avoid high-stress situations, but Lewis said: 'I'm not intending to get married again, but there will be more charity auctions.'
Otter works as the Toys, Trains and Juvenalia Specialist at Lewis's auction house, Bamfords Auctioneers, which Lewis founded with his parents in 2002. Lewis praised Otter's easy-going nature, saying: 'Ed is just really easy, incredibly kind. We just get on very, very well.'
Lewis has been a patron of the Born Free Foundation for 24 years. His daughter Arabella is named after Bella the Lioness, a lion he was rescuing in Romania when he received the call that his ex-wife was going into labour. Despite his health battles, Lewis remains committed to charity work, having completed a Guinness World Record auction for Born Free after a 2019 cardiac arrest.
