Comic confirms 'amicable' separation

Stewart Lee last night confirmed that his marriage to Bridget Christie is over.

The comedians – who tied the knot 17 years ago – have been living apart for almost two years, he disclosed.

However, they remain on amicable terms to co-parent their two children - a 12-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son.

Lee’s publicist last night issued a statement to Chortle, saying: ‘Stewart Lee confirmed today that he and his wife, comedian Bridget Christie, amicably parted and have been living separately since September 2021. Married in 2006, the couple remain friends and continue co-parenting.’

The pair remain supportive, and in June Lee attended the London premiere of Christie’s hit Channel 4 series The Change, about a menopausal woman  in a long marriage who temporarily leaves her slovenly husband – played by Omid Djalili – to embark on her own adventure in the Forest Of Dean.

The storyline inevitably led to speculation the husband was based on 55-year-old Lee, although the comics have always kept their marriage out of their work to avoid that very trap.

In an interview last year, while Christie was filming The Change, Lee told The Times: ‘I said to [Bridget], ‘"You know, when this comes out, everyone’s going to say that’s me." She said, "They’re not, because he likes football, and you don’t."’… She’s made up all this stuff and people are going to think it’s me.’

In another interview with the same journalist this summer, Christie addressed the same issue, saying: ‘Oh God, right, well, I mean, he’s not [based on Lee]. Omid did say that he had to do absolutely no research, so if Steve is based on anyone, it’s on Omid Djalili. He basically just turned up.’

The couple first met at a party at the Leicester Comedy Festival in 2004 and until their split lived together in Stoke Newington, North London. They were separated at the time of both articles, but did not mention the fact.

In another interview, in 2018, Christie also spoke about keeping her personal life out of her work.

She said: ‘I haven’t mined my personal life or relationships for comedy. I’ve told the odd routine about my "husband", "children" or "upbringing", but they’ve generally been light-hearted, hugely exaggerated, or untrue, and even then it makes me feel uneasy and anxious.’

‘I don’t heavily rely on my own personal life for material is because I am married to the comedian Stewart Lee, and so any routines about awkward sexual encounters or the distribution of domestic chores are massively compromised by the loss of anonymity.

‘My story isn’t my story any more. It’s become Stewart Lee’s story. My audience aren’t laughing at my skilfully constructed routine, they’re laughing at the idea of the comedian Stewart Lee putting the bins out. So it’s slightly more problematic for me to do relationship stuff than it would be if I was married to a bin.’

Christie, 51, is currently at the Edinburgh Fringe with her new stand-up show Who Am I? in the grand hall of the New Town Theatre. It runs until August 10, after which Lee inherits the slot as Christie returns to take over the childcare in London.

Lee’s statement last night was volunteered out of the blue, with the request we share it, and was not in response to any story Chortle was planning.

Published: 5 Aug 2023