‘What we have is rare and precious’: Maureen Lipman reflects on the joy of marrying again at 79

Actress Maureen Lipman married again six months ago at the age of 79, and has shared how joyful finding love again in older age can be.

The Coronation Street star was married to playwright Jack Rosenthal from 1974, until his death in 2004. The couple had two children together, Amy and Adam Rosenthal.

Maureen always believed she wouldn't tie the knot again, but surprised herself by getting married to businessman David Turner, 80, in September 2025, after first meeting at a friend's lunch in 2023.

David had previously lost his wife to Alzheimer's and had been widowed three years when Maureen suggested they marry, and she was the one to pop the question after feeling "We’d known each other for the whole of our lives."

In conversation with The Times, the actress shares that moving into David's house "felt like coming home," adding, "I wish any person who’s on their own at my age could find this level of happiness."

Revealing what drew her to David, Maureen says directly, "He listens, which a lot of men aren’t good at."

Explaining why the love they've found as a couple later in life is so special, Maureen shares that she's always put work first, but now wants to consider her husband before taking any acting roles.

"Let’s just say I don’t want to rock the boat too much," she says, continuing, "I’ve found someone to look after and someone who wants to look after me. What we have is rare and precious, and I hope I don’t f*** it up."

David was equally surprised to find himself heading towards another marriage, as his wife had only recently died when he met Maureen, and he was "in no hurry to get back out into the world."

"At that time I’d only recently lost my wife of 50 years to Alzheimer’s, and had been her primary carer for the last five years," David says, continuing, "Alzheimer's is like watching the person you know slowly slipping away, day by day. I had to hold her hand and watch her disappear. The feeling of helplessness broke my heart."

David found himself enjoying dating Maureen because a lot of the anxiety that comes with dating as a younger person was taken out of the equation.

"You’re not wondering if she wants to have kids. She doesn’t want my money; I don’t want hers," he explains, adding, "Neither of us had anything we needed to prove to ourselves or to the world."

While Maureen admires David's ability to listen, he shares what he is most drawn to about her. "She speaks her mind, she is beautiful, she’s funny and has none of that 'I’m a big star' attitude," he says.

The couple appear to find great contentment in wanting to care for each other, revealing this was one of the reasons they wanted to cement their relationship with marriage.

The pair were also aware time isn't on their side, and didn't want to waste a moment when they realised their second chance at love was a special one.

"When you’re young time stretches on for ever," David says, concluding, "But when you get to your seventies the second hand begins to pick up speed. We might have one year together, five years or 20 years, so let’s make them the happiest they can be.