Martin Lewis is somewhat of a national treasure – but it turns out he has a rather famous wife, too.
The 53-year-old journalist shot to fame in the 2000s and has become to go-to Money Saving Expert for Brits. From stints on This Morning to hosting his own show, The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, Martin has become a firm favourite with viewers.
But away from the showbiz and TV world, Martin is happily married to Lara Lewington, 46, who is famous in her own right.
So who is she? What did she ‘ban’ Martin from doing and how long have they been together? Let’s take a look…
Martin Lewis’ Scrabble proposal to wife Lara
Martin and Lara struck up a romance back in 2005 and got engaged over a game of Scrabble. She previously revealed on his ITV show How to Win at Board Games: “Martin proposed to me on a Scrabble set. Once he got the letters out I thought he had too many letters because ‘will you marry me’ is more than seven letters.
“So I said: ‘What are you doing? You’ve got too many letters on the board,’ but he said: ‘Wait, just wait.’ And then of course he put them down and I felt bad because I accused him of cheating!”
And, it seems, they’re still as competitive as ever! Lara previously shared: “Well, we are quite competitive over some things, usually Scrabble, but he’s just so much better than me.”
Wedding bells
The pair tied the knot in May 2009. Speaking on Desert Island Discs in 2020, he revealed intimate details of their big day, revealing the song that they enjoyed their first dance to.
He said: “So this was the first song we danced to at our wedding, so this is the song for my wife. This is Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons – Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.
Lara’s name change
After their wedding, Lara decided to change her name. While she is legally Lara Lewis, she uses the name Lara Lewington professionally. Martin has previously explained that they combined parts of their surnames after marrying in 2009.
He told Jamie Laing’s The Newlyweds podcast: “Lara is legally Lara Lewis, but her name is obviously Lara Lewington. When we actually got married we shared surnames, we took the first four letters of Lewington, Lewi, and added the S of my name and got Lewis on the backend.
“But I said she should have been Lara Lewington Lewis because that is a great telly name!” After Jamie said it sounded “a bit complicated”, Martin responded: “Lara Lewington is her working name, Lara Lewis is her legal name.”
And baby makes three
A few years later, in 2012, they welcomed their daughter, Sapphire.
Speaking about becoming a dad, Martin told The Sunday Times: “When my daughter was born, I remember saying: ‘I’ll buy her everything she needs, but not everything she wants.’ Unfortunately, I didn’t factor in her special power. Those eyes.”
He added that one of his “greatest joys” is “making her happy”. And he ensures that, regardless of his busy schedule, he always wraps up work by 6pm to spend quality time with her.
Martin now calls Sapphire “Mini MSE” after his Money Saving Expert moniker.
Martin Lewis’ wife was a lingerie model
Lara, who was born in Chichester, West Sussex, is a technology journalist these days. But back in the day, she had a rather different career.
She started out in TV, bagging a few jobs as a runner. But in 2004, she did a complete 180 and took up modelling. As a result, Lara featured in several lingerie shoots. In the throwback pics, Lara looks stunning, modelling racy red underwear.
In 2020, Martin was forced to defend his stunning wife after a Twitter user called her a “a gold digger”. The money man swiftly responded: “I know you think it’s a joke, but actually it’s offensive both to me and my wife – you’re accusing her of being a gold digger.”
What Lara Lewington ‘banned’ Martin Lewis from
Martin and Lara usually keep the details of their relationship low-key. But back in 2020, he opened up about their early dates. He also revealed the one thing Lara has banned him from doing since welcoming their daughter Sapphire.
Speaking to Lauren Laverne on Desert Island Discs, Martin had to choose his final song to play on the show. His option was dedicated to his wife Lara, and he then recalled the early days of their romance.
“When we started going out, in the days when she would allow me to do this, I’m banned now since we had a child, I’m not allowed to ride a motorbike any more,” he said.
“We would occasionally hire a motorbike when we were on holiday and we’d sit there and we’d sing this song in the sun, on the back of a moped, both wearing helmets, being safe, I should note,” he added.
On being ‘anti-Valentine’s’
Earlier this year, as the nation geared up to celebrate Valentine’s Day, This Morning host Ben Shephard urged viewers to spare a thought for poor Lara after Martin admitted he is very much “anti-Valentine’s”.
“Will you be buying anything for Valentine’s Day this year?” Cat Deeley asked Martin.
He replied: “No, I’m quite anti-Valentine’s Day.”
Ben then chimed in and quipped: “Because you’re not very loving!”
He retorted: “It is a commercial construct to try and make us feel forced to buy stuff. If you want to get something, make yourself a voucher that says ‘I will give you a massage’ if you like, shall we phrase it that way!”
Read more: Martin Lewis declares he’s a ‘proud husband’ as wife Lara Lewington shares personal news
Watch The Martin Lewis Money Show Live on ITV1 at 8pm tonight (November 25).
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