michael aspel has said he is “full of regrets” about the way he left three marriages, including a headline-making split from an EastEnders actress. He told interviewers in 2023 that he often wakes at night thinking “it was utter madness” and that he “can’t find excuses” for his conduct. The former presenter remains visible hosting vintage episodes of Antiques Roadshow and has framed his remorse in the context of childhood experience as a wartime evacuee.
Michael Aspel: career highlights and current visibility
Michael Aspel presented Antiques Roadshow from 2000 until 2008, recording his final programme at Kentwell Hall in Suffolk as a tribute to his time on the show. He can be seen presenting archive episodes in Vintage Antiques Roadshow on weekday afternoons on One. His broadcasting career began as a newsreader for the and expanded into a run of popular programmes including Come Dancing, Crackerjack!, Ask Aspel and multiple stints hosting the Miss World pageant. He also took over the red book on This Is Your Life from Eamonn Andrews and fronted the television shows Give Us A Clue and Child’s Play.
Personal history, marriage breakdowns and public remorse
michael aspel has had three marriages that ended in divorce. He married Dian Sessions in 1957; the couple had two sons and later divorced in 1961. He then married TV scriptwriter Ann Reed in 1962; they had twin children, one son and one daughter, and divorced in 1967. In 1977 he married actress Elizabeth Power, known for the role of Christine Hewitt in EastEnders; the couple had two sons, a third child who died at three days old and a fourth who was stillborn.
michael aspel left Elizabeth Power in 1994 for Irene Clarke, a production assistant on This Is Your Life; the pair remain together. On his pattern of leaving three wives, Michael Aspel, former presenter of ‘s Antiques Roadshow, said: “When I look back at my life it is mostly with disappointment. ” He added: “Not about my working life, although I do wish I had remained an actor, but my regret is that I left three wives. Sometimes I wake up in the night and sit bolt upright and think, ‘It was utter madness. ‘”
On trying to explain his behaviour, Michael Aspel suggested it may have roots in his childhood: “Those formative years made me feel like a loner. So, I felt claustrophobic when I was bound by things I had volunteered for. ” He reflected further on the end of his marriage to Elizabeth Power after publicity surrounding an affair, saying: “I had to go home and tell Lizzie after Manchester. I should have just given an interview. But it just went on and on. “
Aftermath and what comes next
The broadcast record and the on-air archive presence mean michael aspel remains a visible figure despite his public admission of regret. He left Antiques Roadshow while the programme continued to mark milestones and subsequently handed hosting duties to a successor. His reflections on personal failings are part of a candid account he gave in 2023; he describes those admissions as the clearest assessment of his private life.
michael aspel’s statements close a chapter of public recollection: he continues to appear in vintage broadcasts and has laid out his regrets in his own words, leaving potential future interviews or reflections to follow on his terms.
