Soap star Lisa Riley has ignited speculation that she may have secretly tied the knot with her long-term partner, after a telling slip of the tongue during her post-I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! interview.
A Telling 'Husband' Reference
Appearing on the spin-off show Unpacked on Saturday following her double elimination with Jack Osbourne, the 49-year-old actress spoke about being reunited with her partner of eleven years, 55-year-old Al. When host Joel Dommett teased her about a hug with show presenter Ant McPartlin, Riley quipped: "Oh yes I got a juicy hug with Ant didn’t I? And it’s caused a bit of fury with my husband, he’s fine."
The seemingly casual reference to Al as her "husband" immediately set off rumours that the couple, engaged since 2018, had wed in secret. However, the actress was quick to clarify that she was "joking" about her marital status, leaving fans wondering about the true nature of their relationship.
A Decade-Long Love Story
Lisa Riley met the musician, whom she describes as "very talented and very, very lovely," through friends back in 2014. It is believed Al proposed in May 2018, with the overjoyed actress announcing the news on Twitter, calling him her "soul mate and best mate and love of my life."
At the time, she shared a selfie showing off her silver engagement ring and insisted the couple had "absolutely NO date set for ANY wedding day," preferring a "zero fuss" approach to their commitment.
The Heartbreaking Reason Marriage May Never Happen
Despite the recent speculation, Lisa has previously opened up about the poignant and devastating reason she and Al are unlikely to ever have a traditional wedding day. In a candid interview, she explained that the loss of both their mothers makes the prospect of a large celebration too painful to bear.
Lisa's mother, Cath, died from cancer in 2012, and Al lost his own mother more recently. The actress told The Mirror: "I truly couldn’t cope with the big day without my mum by my side. Why would I want to put myself through that? Al lost his mum not long ago, and he’s got no parents."
She described their bond as already being like a marriage, stating: "We’re already married, but not married... we’re not kids – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it." The actress also revealed she considers Al's mother, affectionately called Nana, to have been like a second mother to her, and that losing her brought back difficult memories of her own mother's passing.
Reflecting on returning to work on Emmerdale too quickly after Nana's death, Lisa admitted: "In hindsight, when Nana passed I shouldn't have gone back to work so quickly... I now realise it was the wrong thing to do before the funeral."
