Carol Vorderman has revealed she has been called "every name under the sun" after opening up about her polyamorous love life. The 65-year-old former Countdown presenter has multiple "special friends", all of whom she says are aware of each other.
Carol embraces this type of relationship, admitting she "couldn't think of anything worse" than settling down with one person. She currently has "three special friends", one of whom lives in America.
Backlash and Response
Addressing the backlash during an appearance on Channel 5's A Night In With Sally Lindsay, Carol said: "I tell you what's interesting, obviously when I came out and said this, that I have special friends and that's fine, everyone's single, you get called all the names under the sun. And you think, 'Oh god, here we go again' but I've stuck by it."
Since speaking publicly about her relationship arrangement, many other women have come forward to say they live in a similar way. "And now they're making shows about things like that [too]," she added, before dismissing the idea that she is a "trailblazer" for polyamory.
Financial Independence and Freedom
Carol explained: "I don't want to settle down, I'm very happy as I am. It's not against anyone and it's not saying that if an independent woman [wants to do that, it's wrong], because we're really the first, sort of, generation where we have financial independence and that makes a huge difference."
She added: "I'm not saying people shouldn't get married, I'm not saying people shouldn't live together, but for me, I couldn't think of anything worse right now, I really couldn't."
Carol continued: "I've got lots of great mates, I have a great social life, I don't need anyone for money. I don't need anyone for anything really, other than the nice bits," she added, laughing.
Previous Marriages
Carol has been married twice before: firstly to Christopher Mather in 1985, which ended the following year, and then to Patrick King in 1990, with whom she shares two children. The couple divorced in 2000.
She has said the breakdown of her second marriage made her realise she no longer wanted to settle down with one person. Speaking on The Vanessa Feltz Show, the Pride of Britain host said she and Patrick "were blissfully happy and then suddenly we weren't."
"I got to my 50s and I thought, I don't really want to settle down," she added. "My children were older and I'm totally financially independent. I've got great friends. I have a brilliant social life, I love laughing, I love going on holiday with my friends. I'm invited all around the world to go and stay with people. So that's what I do."
