Jamie Cullum, the renowned jazz musician and BBC Radio 2 presenter, is set to appear as a guest mentor on the upcoming fourth season of Channel 4's The Piano, premiering on Sunday, July 12, 2026, at 9pm. Hosted by Claudia Winkleman and Mika, the show searches for Britain's finest amateur pianists, with Cullum joining fellow mentors Jools Holland and Hiromi.
Early Career and Rise to Fame
Born in Essex and raised in Wiltshire, Cullum, now 46, launched his career at age 20 with his debut album Heard It All Before in 1999. Produced on a budget of just £480, only 500 copies were pressed. Since then, he has released multiple albums, toured globally, and earned critical acclaim as both a vocalist and instrumentalist. He also hosts The Jazz Show With Jamie Cullum on BBC Radio 2.
Marriage to Supermodel Sophie Dahl
Cullum has been married to supermodel Sophie Dahl since 2010. The couple share two daughters. Sophie, who began her modeling career as a teenager, was discovered by British Vogue and became a sought-after figure for top designers. She later transitioned into writing, journalism, and television hosting.
In a 2020 interview with Red magazine, Cullum described their first meeting: "We just really hit it off. I thought, 'Man, that is a cool woman,' but I didn't really entertain anything else. We were both in relationships and she wasn't living in the UK, so we were just friends at first." He added, "Then, a couple of years later, she moved back here and that's when our friendship became something else. We had a very immediate connection. While we both worked in a public way, our lives were purposefully quite private."
Connection to Roald Dahl
Sophie Dahl is the granddaughter of legendary author Roald Dahl, known for classics such as Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Fantastic Mr Fox. She is said to have inspired his beloved story The BFG. Dahl, born in Cardiff to Norwegian parents, served in the Royal Air Force and published his first children's book, The Gremlins, in 1943. He also wrote macabre short stories for adults, blending humor and innocence with unexpected twists. Roald Dahl passed away in 1990, years before Sophie met and married Cullum.
Height and the Album 'Taller'
Seven years ago, Cullum released an album titled Taller, a name he considers ironic given his stature. Standing at approximately 5ft 4in (163 cm), he has acknowledged being "short." In an interview with The Mirror, he discussed how his height became more noticeable after marrying Sophie, who is 6ft tall (183 cm). He stated: "It is something I've been gently teased about my whole life, particularly when I married a taller woman. But I've taken something that could be my vulnerable spot and used it to say something."
