Inside Anne Robinson and Andrew Parker Bowles’ unlikely romance – and how a retired MONK played key role in uniting love birds
They remained tight-lipped after the rumors started circulating late last year.
But Anne Robinson has now confirmed she is dating Queen Camilla’s ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles – and some details of their meeting are quite unlikely.
Unconfirmed reports late last year suggested the former Weakest Link host, 79, and the retired cavalry officer, 84, were in a relationship.
Robinson has now told Saga magazine that this is the case, saying: ‘Yes. Point. Mind your own business.’
The interview comes as Robinson is announced as the publication’s new aunt, a role she will take on starting with their June issue.
Unconfirmed reports late last year suggested the former Weakest Link host (above), 79, and the retired cavalry officer, 84, were dating
Parker Bowles married Camilla in 1973 and they had two children together, Tom and Laura, before divorcing in 1995.
Speaking about her return to the dating scene in her 70s after more than a decade of being single, she told Saga: “I was out of the game for so long. And I don’t drink either. If you don’t drink, you’re not that reckless, are you?
‘I’m a big believer in surprising yourself by taking risks. Personal and professional. Nothing ventured nothing gained. If the worst that can happen is that you get egg on your face, that’s not terrible, is it?’
Details about Robinson’s relationship with Parker Bowles are scarce, but they are said to have met at a lunch that the ex-Weakest Link presenter hosted in 2022 for her brother and his old school friends.
According to the TelegraphTheir unlikely matchmaker was in fact a retired monk, Father Felix Stevens, who attended Ampleforth boarding school with Robinson’s brother Peter.
He had suggested she invite fellow alumni Parker Bowles.
Although Robinson and Parker Bowles have reportedly been dating for 20 months, they have done everything they can to keep their relationship quiet.
However, their romance is considered an open secret within circles in the Cotswolds, where they both live 30 miles apart.
Despite the demure appearance, they are reported to have attended high-society dinners together, which included Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron.
Camilla (left) meets Anne Robinson at the 2013 Man Booker Prize for Fiction reception.
Robinson became known for making cutting comments to contestants and her catchphrase “you’re the weakest link, goodbye” when she hosted the quiz show, which first aired in 2000 and ended 12 years later.
A mutual friend told the Sun: ‘They have sensibly avoided having their pictures taken together as they both wanted to keep this quiet for as long as possible.
‘Annie proudly tells everyone that she is the daughter of a chicken seller at a market trader and that she is as far from a toff as it is possible to be. Frankly, it surpasses any storyline The Crown can think of.”
The source added that she remained “strongly independent and self-sufficient” and that there was “no chance” of the couple moving in together.
Robinson became known for making cutting comments to contestants and her catchphrase “you’re the weakest link, goodbye” when she hosted the quiz show, which first aired in 2000 and ended 12 years later.
As for why dating older can be easier, she told Saga, “You’re a lot more selective about what you start worrying about. Nothing matters that much. You’re not going to change.’
Parker Bowles and the Queen have remained friends, with the former army officer on the select guest list for the King’s coronation
Robinson previously hosted Channel 4 quiz show Countdown, becoming the sixth presenter and the first woman to take on the role, before stepping down in 2022 after filming 265 episodes of the show.
She was previously married to the late Charles Wilson, a former journalist and newspaper executive, until 1973 and divorced her second husband, John Penrose, in 2007.
Parker Bowles married Camilla in 1973 and they had two children together, Tom and Laura, before divorcing in 1995.
The king, who divorced Diana, Princess of Wales in 1996, married Camilla at the Guildhall in Windsor in April 2005.
Parker Bowles and the Queen have remained friends, with the former army officer on the select guest list for the King’s coronation.
The Queen is said to be amused by the unusual combination, but also supportive.
The interview appears in the June issue of Saga magazine.