Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal and his wife Zanna's 28-year marriage finally came to an end on Wednesday in a 'quickie' divorce hearing lasting just 90 seconds. District Judge Anne Hudd granted Zanna the decree nisi at the Central Family Court, six years after the couple initially parted ways. They are parents to three children, Jack, 24, Jessie, 21, and Joy, 19.
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The Michelin-starred chef, 50, has since been in a five-year relationship with American actress Suzanne Pirret, and is now romantically linked to French real-estate broker Stephanie Gouveia. Heston and Zanna, who met when they were teenagers and married in 1989, have remained on the best of terms for the sake of their children. In a recent interview with Event magazine, the TV star opened up about the guilt he felt for not spending enough time with his children.
Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has been granted 'quickie' divorce
"I remember I had a back operation over Christmas when we were closed at The Fat Duck," he explained. "I was on crutches, putting up decorations with my son Jack, and he said, 'This is the first time we've done this, Dad.' He was 13 or 14. For some reason I thought, 'Isn't that cute?' But then it struck me, 'Oh my God, this really is not right.' I carried that regret for a while, along with other regrets."
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Before his marriage ended in 2011, Heston credited his wife for his successful career. "Zanna is the biggest reason for the success of the restaurant. She has been the one doing the sacrificing in order to support what I wanted to do." Zanna, 52, is believed to have cited irreconcilable differences for the split. Neither party were present at the brief court hearing.