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richard ayoade© Photo: Rex

Meet BAFTA TV Awards 2022 host Richard Ayoade's famous wife

The comedian and actor has been married for 15 years

Eve Crosbie
TV & Film Writer
May 8, 2022
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Comedian and actor Richard Ayoade is known for his appearances on a number of popular shows and is now returning to host the Virgin Media BAFTA TV Awards for the third year running.

MORE: Everything you need to know about the BAFTA TV Awards 2022: nominees, performers and how to watch

However, viewers might be surprised to learn that the 44-year-old's wife is pretty famous herself. Find out more here…

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Since 2007, the IT Crowd star has been married to Lydia Fox, who comes from the famous Fox acting family. Her brother is controversial actor turned politician Laurence Fox, and her cousins include Silent Witness star Emilia Fox and Pursuit of Love actor Freddie Fox.

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Lydia herself is also an actress and has appeared alongside her husband in many projects. Most recently, the two were both seen in Joanna Hogg's 2019 semi-autobiographical film The Souvenir and its 2022 follow-up, The Souvenir: Part II. 

richard lydia© Photo: Rex

Richard and Lydia have been married for 15 years

Prior to this, Lydia played Miss Dutton in Richard's 2009 directorial debut film The Submarine and appeared alongside her famous other half in The IT Crowd and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. Aside from this, her other acting credits include episodes of Secret Diary of a Call Girl - which starred her former sister-in-law Billie Piper - and the period drama miniseries Lilies.

richard lydia kids© Photo: Rex

The couple with their daughters Esme and Ida in 2015

Although not much is known about the couple's life away from cameras, it's believed that they met when they were undergraduates at Cambridge University in the mid-nineties. 

MORE: Silent Witness star Emilia Fox drops major details on Nikki and Jack romance in season 25

While Lydia studied at Newnham College at the famed University, Richard attended St Catharine's College and the two reportedly locked eyes at one of Richard's Footlights performances where Lydia was in the audience. 

The couple share three children together and live in South London. Their eldest daughter Esme was born in 2009, followed by another daughter named Ida and a third child in 2015, whose name has not been disclosed.

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