Jamie Cullum, the acclaimed jazz musician, is set to appear as a guest mentor on the upcoming fourth series of Channel 4's The Piano, airing on Sunday, July 12 at 9pm. Presented by Claudia Winkleman and Mika, the show discovers the UK's finest amateur piano players. Cullum will join fellow mentors Jools Holland and Hiromi.
Early Career and Rise to Fame
Cullum, now 46, was born in Essex and raised in Wiltshire. He produced his debut album, Heard It All Before, in 1999 at just 20 years old, with a budget of only £480 and a limited run of 500 copies. Since then, he has released numerous albums, toured internationally, and collected multiple awards. He also hosts The Jazz Show With Jamie Cullum on BBC Radio 2.
Marriage to Sophie Dahl
Jamie Cullum married supermodel Sophie Dahl in 2010, and the couple share two daughters. Sophie began her career as a teenage fashion model, discovered by British Vogue, and became known for her curves, working with top designers. She later transitioned into a successful career as an author, journalist, and television presenter.
In a 2020 interview with Red, Cullum spoke about meeting his wife: "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."
Famous Author Link
Sophie Dahl is the granddaughter of the legendary children's author Roald Dahl, known for classics such as Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Fantastic Mr Fox. Sophie was reportedly the inspiration behind his beloved work The BFG. Roald 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 adult short stories. Roald passed away in 1990, before Sophie met and married Jamie.
Height and the Album 'Taller'
In 2017, Cullum released the album Taller, a title he finds ironic given his height. Standing at around 5ft 4in (163 cm), Cullum has openly described himself as "short." Speaking to the Mirror at the time, he said: "It is something I've been gently teased about my whole life, particularly when I married a taller woman." His wife Sophie is approximately 6ft tall (183 cm). He added: "But I've taken something that could be my vulnerable spot and used it to say something."
The Piano returns to Channel 4 on Sunday, July 12 at 9pm.
