“Katie thought I was her bit of rough!”

JOHN SAYS… WHEN KATIE FIRST MET ME AT A UNIVERSITY BALL, SHE THOUGHT I WAS SECURITY! I WAS WEARING A BOMBER JACKET AND WAS WORKING THERE – I HAD A SOUND AND LIGHT COMPANY – WHILE STUDYING. I NOTICED SHE HAD A REALLY PATHETIC WRISTBAND THAT SHE’D OBVIOUSLY MADE HERSELF,

SO I SUGGESTED THAT I’D LET HER IN IF

SHE SNOGGED ME LATER! I ASKED HER TO MARRY ME THAT NIGHT.

BUT THEN I WENT TRAVELLING AND

SHE STARTED GOING OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE. IT WAS TWO YEARS BEFORE WE GOT TOGETHER – I CALLED HER MOST MONTHS SAYING, “YOU KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO MARRY ME!” SHE DIDN’T KNOW I WAS A STUDENT – I THINK SHE THOUGHT I WAS HER BIT OF ROUGH! IT WAS ABOUT TWO YEARS BEFORE SHE REALISED I’D BEEN TO CAMBRIDGE TOO – SHE GENUINELY THOUGHT I WAS JOKING.

KATIE IS THE MOST AUTHENTIC, LOVELY PERSON I KNOW. WHEN SHE LEFT ITN, THERE WAS A MASSIVE TURNOUT. SHE’S NOT AN OPERATOR AND DOESN’T TRY TO ENGINEER CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR HERSELF. SHE GETS ALL THESE BUSINESS CARDS AFTER AN EVENT AND NEVER DOES ANYTHING WITH THEM.

SHE’S ALSO GREAT FUN TO BE WITH. I’M NOT SURE THAT ALWAYS COMES ACROSS; IT MIGHT BE TO DO WITH HER

NEWSCASTER IMAGE. WE WERE

THE LAST PEOPLE TO LEAVE

OUR WEDDING AT 4AM

– THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE THERE, AND WE COULDN’T EVEN GET A LIFT BACK TO OUR HOTEL.

KATIE HAS ALWAYS BEEN MASSIVELY SUPPORTIVE. YOU NEED YOUR PARTNER TO BE ON YOUR TEAM – AND KATIE IS DEFINITELY ON MY TEAM – ESPECIALLY DURING CHALLENGING TIMES SUCH AS WHEN I WAS SETTING UP LEON IN 2004. IT WORKS BOTH WAYS – DOING THE PROMS AND RADIO 3 IS ALL ABOUT HER LOVE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC, AND I TRY TO SUPPORT HER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN THESE JOBS; I’M HAPPY IF KATIE’S HAPPY AND CAN PURSUE HER DREAMS.

THE KEY TO A HAPPY MARRIAGE? BEING EXCITED AND PASSIONATE ABOUT THE SAME THINGS. AND ALSO ACHIEVING THIS GREAT BALANCE OF COMPLETELY TAKING EACH OTHER FOR GRANTED WHILE COMPLETELY not TAKING EACH OTHER

FOR GRANTED. W&H