INTERVIEW
JUDGE RINDER:
‘Susanna and I only go away together for the sex!’ TV star Robert Rinder jokes about his wild trips with close pal, GMB host Susanna Reid, and spills the beans on life inside the Bake Off tent...
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hey’ve been pals ever since he first appeared as a guest on Good Morning Britain, six years ago. And Judge Robert Rinder reveals his friendship with presenter Susanna Reid has blossomed so much that they now party hard on holiday together every summer. Susanna, 49 – who has sons Sam, 18, Finn, 16, and 15-year-old Jack with former partner Dominic Cotton – recently admitted she “fell off the wagon” during a boozy trip to Ibiza with Judge Rinder last September, after going teetotal on a strict no-alcohol diet plan. And Robert, 41, who separated from his husband Seth Cumming two years ago, tells Closer, “I love to go away with Susanna once a year. We have more plans to go away, but I won’t say where. The two of us try to keep it to ourselves – Susanna and I only go on holiday for the sex!”
PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM, GETTY
JEALOUS
Susanna’s GMB co-host Piers Morgan previously lamented losing his drinking buddy after she ditched the booze at the end of 2018, and Robert cheekily adds, “Does Piers get jealous? I like to keep that to myself. It’s just me and Susanna, and we have sex morning, noon and night. I am exhausted by the time I come home, to be honest, and I need another holiday.” Famed for his sharp tongue, the professional barrister began filming the reality court show Judge Rinder in 2014, presiding over small claims in his televised courtroom. He is said to have had ambitions to become an actor, and is close pals with Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch after the pair met while studying together at Manchester University. The actor officiated
With holiday buddy Susanna
at Robert’s 2013 wedding to ex-husband Seth. Robert was best man when Benedict married director Sophie Hunter two years later. And he has other celebrity pals aplenty. In 2016, Robert starred on Strictly Come Dancing, making it through to the quarter finals with his pro dance partner Oksana Platero, and he’ll be back on our screens this spring in Celebrity Bake Off. He reveals he found a kindred spirit in presenter Carol Vorderman, and is full of praise for host Sandi Toksvig and Paul Hollywood, one of the judges. NAKED
“Carol is amazing and we became great friends,” he says. “She is exceptional at baking. That’s all I’ll say. She taught me a lot. “I had a little dance with Sandi. It was a lovely moment. It’s sad she’s leaving [Sandi recently revealed she is exiting the show after three years]. I would love to be a judge on the show, but the problem is you need to have some baking skills. “Paul Hollywood is a baking nerd – he loves it. That’s why people really like him, as he is genuinely into it. He ate my food, too!” Later this month, the star is set to trek 100 miles across a frozen lake in Mongolia in aid of Sport Relief, joining DJ Nick Grimshaw and reality star Chris Hughes for the sub-zero four-day challenge, which will be shown in a documentary on BBC1 in March. He says, “I’m doing a hundred-mile triathlon with Nick and I’m getting naked in an ice bath with Chris from Love Island... There are worse jobs, although apparently things shrink in the ice!” By Olivia Buxton
In the Celebrity Bake Off tent
● We spoke to Judge Rinder at the 12th annual Sun Military awards. Visit thesun.co.uk/millies.
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