Who Is Janet Street Porter's Partner Now

Right, let’s talk about Janet Street-Porter. You know her: the lanky, sharp-tongued queen of British telly with the trademark specs and a voice that could cut glass. She’s been a fixture on our screens for decades, from Loose Women to architectural rants that make you feel bad about your own kitchen extension.

But here’s the million-pound question: Who is Janet’s partner now? Spoiler alert: it’s not a man in a suit with a briefcase. It’s a woman, and their love story is everything you didn’t know you needed.

Let’s rewind a bit first. Janet has been married three times—yep, three. Three husbands, like a sitcom plot that keeps getting a second season. She married Tony Porter (hence the Porter), then photographer Tim Blanks, and finally David Rowan. All ended, all amicably, all with Janet casually shrugging it off like a leather jacket.

Enter the love of her life

Meet Lucy Trench. That’s right: Lucy Trench. It sounds like a character from a detective novel, but she’s very real, very cool, and very much Janet’s partner. They’ve been together since 2019, making this Janet’s longest-running relationship since… well, ever.

Lucy is a furniture restorer by trade. Think cosy workshops, wood shavings, and old chairs brought back to life. Meanwhile, Janet is out there shouting about bad architecture on television. It’s like a Victorian romance novel—if the heroine wore Doc Martens and carried a power saw.

How did they meet? The story is pure gold. Janet, aged 73 at the time, walked into a café in Hackney. Lucy, a decade younger, was sitting there looking “incredibly cool.” Janet, never one for shyness, marched over and asked her out. Bold move. And it worked.

The modern fairy tale

They now live together in a Georgian townhouse in Stoke Newington, north London. It’s a house full of history, mismatched furniture (restored by Lucy, naturally), and Janet’s collection of odd art. Think your nan’s house, but with a lesbian love story and zero doilies.

Janet has been very open about the relationship. She told The Times that Lucy makes her “laugh every day.” And if you know Janet—who looks like she could win a staring contest with a gargoyle—that’s no small feat. Laughter is apparently the secret to their happiness.

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And yes, they’ve been through tough times. Janet battled breast cancer in 2020, right in the middle of lockdown. Lucy was there, holding her hand, making soup, and probably restoring a vintage chair between hospital visits. That’s love, folks. Real, messy, furniture-restoring love.

What about labels?

Janet doesn’t really do labels. She’s been with men her whole life, so this is a new chapter for her. In interviews, she’s shrugged off the term “lesbian,” saying she “just fell in love with a woman.” Honestly, that’s the most Janet Street-Porter thing ever—defying categories like a rebellious teenager with a pension.

Lucy, meanwhile, is a private person. You won’t find her on Instagram doing sponsored posts. She’s the quiet, steady engine behind Janet’s whirlwind life. And Janet loves that. “She’s not interested in fame,” Janet once said. “She just wants to fix old chairs and kiss me.” Goals, right?

The secret to their success

What works? Independence. They don’t live in each other’s pockets. Janet still does her TV gigs and writing; Lucy restores furniture and rides a motorbike—yes, a motorbike. She’s basically the coolest person in the relationship, and Janet knows it.

They also argue. Janet says they have “proper rows” about silly things like where to put the sofa. But then they make up, and presumably Lucy fixes the sofa with a chisel. It’s a positive, realistic partnership, not a fairy tale where everyone wears matching pyjamas.

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And let’s talk age. Janet is 77 now (as of 2024), Lucy is 67. That’s a whole decade of life experience between them, but Janet says it doesn’t matter. “She’s younger in spirit, but I’m younger in grumpiness,” Janet joked. See? Love at any age, with a side of sarcasm.

What the future holds

So, what’s next for this unlikely power couple? Travel. Janet’s dream is to drag Lucy around the UK’s worst architectural sites and laugh at them together. They also want to adopt a dog—a scruffy rescue mutt, obviously, to match their aesthetic.

Oh, and marriage? Nope. Janet has been married three times and says she’s “done with ceremonies.” Lucy agrees. They’re happy cohabitating, fixing chairs, and watching crap telly. If you ask me, that’s more romantic than any white dress.

So there you have it. Janet Street-Porter’s partner is Lucy Trench: a furniture restorer, motorbike rider, and full-time keeper of Janet’s heart. A woman who saw a loud, brilliant, chaotic legend and thought, “Yes, I’ll take that one home and sand her down a bit.”

Uplifting conclusion time: If a 70-something woman who once described politicians as “wibbly little men” can find true love with a quiet badass who fixes antique tables, then honestly, there’s hope for all of us. Love doesn’t care about your age, your history, or your opinion on open-plan living. It just finds you in a café, makes you laugh, and sticks around for the weird bits. Janet and Lucy are proof that the best love stories are the ones you never saw coming—and the ones that smell faintly of wood varnish. Cheers to that.