Right, I’ll be honest with you. I was round at my mate Charlie’s house last weekend when his mum wandered in during Countryfile. She plonked herself down and said, “That John Craven’s been around for ages; bet he’s been married loads of times, hasn’t he?” Charlie just shrugged, but I was curious. Turns out his mum was completely off the mark, wasn’t she?
Who Actually Is John Craven?
John Craven popped into this world on 16 August 1940 in Leeds. Proper Yorkshire lad, he was. Now he’s 84 and still bouncing about the countryside with that same cheeky grin we’ve known for decades.
Started off on BBC radio back in 1970. Nothing fancy, just local stuff. Then 1972 happened. That’s when John Craven’s Newsround kicked off; though let’s face it, everyone just called it Newsround. Kids across Britain suddenly had this friendly bloke explaining why the world was going bonkers. He did that job for 16 solid years. Mental when you think about it.
Newsround finished? No worries. John wandered over to Countryfile in the 1980s. Perfect fit, really. Bloke loves mucking about in fields, talking to farmers, and getting excited about sheep. Still at it today, bless him.
Got an OBE in 2000 for all this telly work. Then the Royal Television Society chucked the Baird Medal at him in 2002. Decent haul for a lad from Leeds.
How Many Times Has John Craven Been Married? Here’s The Real Answer
Brace yourself, Charlie’s mum. John Craven has been married exactly once. One time. Singular. To a lovely lady called Marilyn Craven. They’ve been hitched for over 50 years.
I know, I know. Bit mental in today’s world, isn’t it? Celebrities change spouses like they change their socks. But John? Nah. Found his missus, stuck with her. End of story.
People keep asking how many times John Craven has been married because we’re all used to reading about famous folk having three, four, or even five marriages. John’s bucked that trend completely. One wife. Done deal.
Makes you think, doesn’t it? Maybe there’s something to be said for the old-fashioned approach.
Meet John Craven’s Wife – The Woman Behind The Man
Marilyn wasn’t just some random bird John met at a pub quiz. She worked as a production secretary on Look North. Proper career woman, she was. That’s where they met; love over the filing cabinets, you might say.
They tied the knot sometime in the early 70s. John and Marilyn keep the exact details quite close to their chests, which is fair enough, really. Not everything needs to be splashed across the papers.
John spilled the beans a bit in one interview: “It helped that she worked in TV. She knew how it was.” Smart observation, that. Marilyn understood the mad hours, the travelling, and the general chaos that comes with telly work. When John got asked to move to Bristol, she didn’t throw a wobbler; she packed her bags and came along.
“She keeps me grounded,” John said. “She’s been my rock.” Bit soppy? Maybe. But you can tell he means every word.
The John Craven wife situation is actually quite sweet when you dig into it. No drama, no scandals, just two people who figured out how to make it work.
They’ve settled in Bicester, Oxfordshire, now. Quiet life, away from all the London madness.
John Craven’s Family Life – The Next Generation
Two daughters came along; their names are Emma and Victoria. Both girls kept well away from the cameras growing up. Sensible parents, John and Marilyn. Protected their kids from all the media nonsense.
Fast forward to now, and John’s a proper granddad to five grandchildren. Five! The man’s chuffed to bits about it too. Family holidays to places like Jamaica with the whole clan in tow. Must be chaos, but the good sort.
Emma and Victoria are both married now with families of their own. The John Craven family tree keeps growing. Sunday dinners at John and Marilyn’s must be mental with kids running about everywhere, noise levels through the roof. Perfect, really.
What The Interviews Tell Us
John doesn’t chat much about John Craven personal life, but when he does, it’s always about Marilyn. How she supported his career moves. How she never complained about the travelling. How she kept him normal when everyone else was telling him how brilliant he was.
“Without being too soppy, she was always there,” he said once. Simple words, but they tell you everything you need to know about their marriage.
The fact that Marilyn came from telly herself made all the difference. She got it. The weird hours, the public attention, the pressure. Not every wife would fancy their husband disappearing for days to film sheep in Scotland, would they?
Wrapping This Up Then
So there you have it, Charlie’s mum. How many times has John Craven been married? Once. Just the once. To Marilyn. Over 50 years ago.
In a world where celebrity marriages last about as long as a Yorkshire pudding in our house (not very long, if you’re wondering), John and Marilyn have shown it’s possible to go the distance.
They met at work, supported each other’s dreams, raised two lovely daughters, and now they’re enjoying being grandparents. No scandals, no drama, no second or third wives. Just two people who figured out how to stick together through everything life chucked at them.
Makes you wonder if John’s secret isn’t just his presenting skills; maybe he knows something about making relationships work that the rest of us could learn from. Either way, good on them both.
