Dermot O’Leary has shared his secrets to a happy marriage with his wife Dee Koppang, and revealed how they have managed to maintain a low-key lifestyle despite his fame. The X Factor host has been in a relationship with TV and film producer Dee for 17 years, and they have been married since 2012, but they rarely make high profile appearances together.
Speaking to Fabulous magazine about how they have managed to avoid their relationship being very public, Dermot said. "Oh god no, that’s my idea of hell. But at the same time I don’t want to hide my wife away! So I’m never going to turn down an invite for something really cool. Some mates of mine, largely in music, have almost become prisoners in their own homes. You can’t live like that.
© Photo: RexDermot O'Leary has opened up about married life with Dee Koppang
"It’s about the neighbourhood you live in. If you embrace the greengrocers, the local store, the dry cleaners, you just become a face and part of a community. And that’s how you have a normal life."
MORE: Look back at Dermot O'Leary's wedding to Dee Koppang
The children’s author also divulged his easy secret to maintaining a happy marriage. "We don’t have the recipe, but it’s going well," he said. "It’s a work in progress, isn’t it? The key for me is giving each other space, not giving each other a hard time and actually having fun together. And we do."
© Photo: RexDee and Dermot married on 14 September 2012
Dermot and Dee will celebrate their seventh wedding anniversary on Saturday. The couple married at St Mary’s Church in Chiddingstone, Kent, before hosting a reception at nearby Chiddingstone Castle, where they were joined by guests including Holly Willoughby, James Corden and his wife Julia Carey, and adventurer Bear Grylls.
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The couple met in 2002 at a TV production company where they both worked, and are now happily settled in north London with their pet cats Toto and Silver, who inspired his children’s book series.
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