What Michael Portillo’s spouse Carolyn actually thinks of his ‘gay revelations’
Michael Portillo has been married to his wife Carolyn since 1982, and a close friend has opened up about what she really thinks of his past homosexual revelations
Michael Portillo and his wife, Caroline(Image: Getty)
A close friend of Michael Portillo has shed light on what the presenter’s wife, thinks of his “homosexual revelations”. The 72 year old telly host previously revealed that he had experimented during his university years.
The couple’s friend Anne Jenkin spoke to the Telegraph back in 2012, revealing the true nature of their relationship. The report suggests that Michael once said: “There’s only one person who knows me – and that’s me.” He also confessed that he didn’t tell anyone, not even his wife, Carolyn, when he decided to discuss his pre-marital homosexual experiences with a newspaper.
The close friend stated: “Michael is much too grand to talk about it – he’ll take the hits and won’t respond. He knew it would come up one day. He’s decided that if the Tory party is still homophobic, they’re lost anyway.”The friend also divulged that Michael is extremely protective of Carolyn, particularly after she was diagnosed with breast cancer two years into their marriage.
He only informed his friends once it was over. Following treatment, she couldn’t have children, but neither of them expressed any complaints.
“It’s one of their most extraordinary attributes – people may snipe that they don’t have a family, but they never hit back or mope,” said Anne. “Michael is old-fashioned and courteous with Carolyn, he simply will not say why they can’t have children and I admire him for that.”
In the late 1990s, the BBC presenter was seriously involved in politics, having previously served as an MP and a figure within the Conservative Party before transitioning to a career in television, reports the Express.
In 1999, Michael found himself at the centre of speculation regarding his sexuality. The then-politician, who married his wife Carolyn Claire Eadie in 1982 and initially opposed equalising the age of consent for same-sex couples with heterosexual couples in 1994 before changing his stance in 2000, opened up to The Times about his personal life.
He declared: “I will say what I want to say. I had some homosexual experiences as a young person.” Michael went on to say: “I am now happily married. That is behind me now. I want to make it perfectly clear that all the time I have been in public life, there has been nothing of this sort whatsoever.
“When the interviewer asked me if I had ever had any experiences at university, I said yes.”
Explaining his decision to address the matter, he commented: “I was keen to put to rest the rumours that had been circulating about me, and I cannot really believe that what happened a generation ago could be big news.
“I do not think it was a particularly big burden, and I do not have any regrets. The truth is a good thing.”
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