Comedian and presenter Jason Manford is set to take centre stage once again, hosting the prestigious Royal Variety Performance on ITV. While fans know him for his stand-up, his role as a team captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats, or hosting Unbeatable, his life away from the spotlight reveals a story of personal turmoil, redemption, and a very large, modern family.
The Breakdown of a Marriage: Scandal and Self-Reflection
Jason Manford married his first wife, Catherine, in October 2007. The couple welcomed four children: twins in 2009, another daughter in December 2010, and a son in 2012. However, their marriage faced a very public crisis in 2010 during Manford's brief tenure as a presenter on BBC One's The One Show.
He resigned from the show after just three months, admitting to exchanging explicit text and video messages with multiple women while married. Reflecting on the scandal, Manford told The Sun he had "only myself to blame" and described it as a moment of profound personal failure.
The couple eventually separated in 2013. Years later, in 2021, Manford offered another perspective to the Mirror, explaining that his drive to provide a different childhood for his kids than his own led him to overwork, neglecting his marriage. "My first marriage really disintegrated on my theory of, 'I don't want my children to have the childhood I had'," he confessed.
New Love and a Blended Family of Six
Jason Manford found love again with TV producer Lucy Dyke. The pair married in 2017 and have since had two children together, bringing his total to six children.
He has spoken openly about the dynamics of their blended family, emphasising teamwork. "It's a lot, it has its difficult moments like any family but at the end of the day there's more love to go around," he said. He credits a strong support network, including his parents, his ex-wife Catherine, and his current wife, for making it work. "Everybody pitches in," he noted.
Brothers in Entertainment and a Humble Start
Show business runs in the family. Manford's younger brother, Colin, is also a comedian who tours extensively across the UK and Europe. Another brother, Stephen, is a magician who performs under the stage name Stephen Mandini and has won several awards for his craft.
Before finding fame, Jason Manford worked a string of ordinary jobs, including on building sites, in call centres, and in bars. His big break into comedy came indirectly through fellow comedian Peter Kay. While working as a glass collector at a pub hosting comedy nights, Kay advised him to study an HND in Media and Performance at the University of Salford—advice Manford followed.
Today, Manford's career is remarkably diverse. Beyond comedy panel shows, he is an accomplished singer who won the TV competition Born to Shine in 2011 and has released albums. He has also starred in several West End productions, including Sweeney Todd, Guys and Dolls, and The Wizard of Oz. His journey from a pub glass collector to a Royal Variety host, navigating personal challenges and building a large, loving family along the way, remains a compelling chapter in British entertainment.
