Johnny Vegas has provided a rare insight into his relationship with his long-term girlfriend Vikki Jones. The comedian, known for his roles in Benidorm and his show Johnny Vegas' Little Shop Of Antiques, has been dating art gallery owner Vikki for the past three years. She has recently begun helping him with his Cheshire shop, which features on the Quest show.
Working Together for Quality Time
Speaking in a new interview, Johnny said that Vikki joined his business so they could spend 'more quality time together' and that it's been 'great for their relationship.' The Benidorm actor said: “They say never work with your partner, but it's great. She and Bev make fun of me most of the time.”
Talking to The Times, Johnny admitted that he hasn't been keeping Vikki out of the spotlight intentionally. This is due to him tending to keep his social media posts focused on his work. “I wasn't keeping it under cover, but I don't share much about it on social media,” he noted.
Past Marriages and Family
Johnny tied the knot to his first wife Catherine 'Kitty' Donnelly in August 2002, having met the interior designer in a pub in London. The former couple sold photos of their wedding day to Viz magazine for just a pound in a jab at celebrity wedding shoots. They welcomed their son Michael Pennington into the world in 2003, but split up in 2006 and divorced two years later.
Johnny went on to marry Irish TV presenter Maia Dunphy in 2011 in Spain. Maia, known in Ireland for competing in Celebrity Masterchef: Ireland and Dancing with the Stars, gave birth to their son Tom in 2015. She confirmed 'with a heavy heart' in 2018 that she and Johnny had separated the year prior. She posted on X: “We are telling people now because speculation is unhelpful at best, and dangerous at worst. As we think is obvious, we continue to fully support each other, there is no acrimony, no story and no one else involved.”
Moving Away from Stand-Up
Johnny stated that his decision to pursue a new career away from stand-up was due to performing in front of thousands of people beginning to 'take its toll'. He explained: “Stand-up was great, but it was manic. The nerves took their toll. Never say never, but I just see that as a project that needs to rest.”
ADHD Diagnosis
It's been a candid few years for Johnny, who announced in 2023 that he was diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), admitting at the time that it 'made sense of a lot of things'. He told the Radio Times: "Talking to other people about it, as well. There are behavioural traits I now understand around timekeeping, tidiness, hitting deadlines, not getting overwhelmed at the start of the day and being motivated in the direction you need to be."
He added: "ADHD is like having a head full of butterflies, and sometimes you'll catch one. It's good to share and not beat myself up about not doing something, but I don't want to trade off it or use it to make excuses."
