Lisa Snowdon has confirmed her split from fiancé George Smart, declaring she’s ‘single at 54’. The TV and radio presenter dated businessman George for 12 years, and breakup rumours emerged over the summer when Lisa was pictured without her engagement ring in July. Later that month, she hinted at a separation in an interview with Prima, describing this time in her life as ‘a new chapter’.
Communication and honesty
On the Hello! Second Act podcast, the broadcaster reflected on why the romance broke down, suggesting that ‘communication is key’ to a lasting relationship. She told host Ateh Jewel: ‘You’ve got to communicate with each other, and you’ve just got to be honest with yourself as well – does this feel right anymore, you know?’
‘I think a lot of people wanna stay in because it’s more comfortable; you don’t wanna rock the boat, you don’t know what else is out there, you don’t know what life looks like – it’s a whole reshift, it’s a complete change. But, you know, if it’s not right anymore, it’s not right anymore, and you just can’t stay in a relationship that isn’t right.’
Embracing the ‘second act’
Lisa pondered whether she is now in her ‘second act’ because she is 54 and single, saying she feels ‘strong’, ‘happy’, and ‘excited about what the future is’. She admitted she is ‘not even thinking’ about dating yet, but did try to log into an old dating profile. ‘I’ve never been a [dating] app kind of girl. I was on Raya years ago, when it was really private, and you had to be recommended and approved… I did try and log in to see… but I didn’t remember any of my passwords; it was a totally different phone number,’ she laughed.
Lisa added that relationships blossom for her ‘in real life’ and ‘in-person’. When Ateh revealed she struggles to meet ‘straight, eligible men of a certain age’ and asked Lisa if she is in the same situation, the model replied: ‘Well, it’s still very new. At this age, I don’t know! I feel like I just wanna have an adventure by myself.’
Past and future
Lisa reminisced about recent solo travels to Bali, which involved a wellness retreat. Her mindset now is ‘What do I want?’ and ‘What do I need?’ She said: ‘I think I’m just super independent like that, and I am really comfortable with my own company. I really love quiet in the house – no noise; if the doorbell goes, I don’t want to open the door.’
Lisa and George first crossed paths at MTV and were together around 20 years ago before dating in 2014. They split the first time due to their age difference, with Lisa noting it ‘seemed much bigger back then’. After rekindling their romance through a mutual pal, they got engaged at Christmas in 2016. Lisa described the proposal as ‘really low-key and completely unexpected’, telling Fabulous magazine in early 2017: ‘He chose the most beautiful diamond ring, which I love, and amazingly it fits me perfectly! It was such a great way to start the New Year.’ She also called George ‘selfless, honest, kind, wise, calm, and thoughtful’.
Before George, Lisa dated actor George Clooney from 2000 to 2005, having met while shooting a Martini advert in Barcelona. From 2005 to 2009, she was linked to comedian David Walliams but only dated briefly before deciding to keep things platonic.
