Date: 14 April 1994
Originally published in: The Sun (UK)
Written by: Andy Coulson
He’s Britain’s most unlikely sex symbol. Yet from the moment Chris Evans hit our telly screens, his love life has never been out of the headlines. First there were revelations about the Big Breakfast star’s love child by old flame Alison Ward. Then came the sad collapse of his 18-month marriage to Carol. Just three months later he began a passionate but short-lived affair with pop star Kim Wilde. Then just last week, after much speculation, Chris revealed that he’s now hopelessly in love with former model Rachel Tatton-Brown, co-star of his Saturday night Channel 4 quiz show Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush. Throughout it all, Chris has had one shoulder to cry on – that of his gorgeous Big Breakfast telly partner Gaby Roslin. Here, in a Sun exclusive, Chris, 27, talks frankly and for the first time about the women in his life.
Why I left wife Carol
Things began to go wrong almost immediately after Chris and Carol married on September 17, 1991. He said: ‘We were like two volcanos erupting at once. We met when I was working at Piccadilly Radio seven years ago and were friends until 1990 when things started to develop romantically.
But then we began to row a lot about the slightest, stupidest things. There was a lot of loving and a lot of fighting. It was a case of two huge characters clashing. When we got on it was fantastic, second to nothing. But when we fought it was the worst it could possibly be.”
“There was no compromise on either side. We really made a go of it, we really tried. We never rowed about anything important. God knows what we found to shout at each other about because our lives were perfect. It’s too easy to blame my career. It was never a case of me leaving Carol at home to run with my new showbiz friends. She came to every premiere whenever she wanted to. We went everywhere together. I feel we were better as friends than as man and wife.”
Chris finally left 34-year-old Carol in August last year – a week after they moved into their 350,000 home in Highgate, North London. He said: “We realised that our relationship just wasn’t going anywhere. We decided we’d be better off on our own than together.”
Devoted to TV pal
Chris admits he loves Big Breakfast co-presenter Gaby Roslin – but says their relationship is strictly professional. He said: “Nobody has any idea how close Gaby and I really are. We’ve always said that if one of us leaves, the other will seriously consider what to do. I intend to quit this autumn, so who knows what Gaby has planned?”
“She and I have both worked with so many w****** in the past that it’s been such a joy to be with someone who appreciates you as much as you appreciate them. The Big Breakfast could have been a nightmare job but Gaby has been a fantastic reason for getting up in the morning.”
Gaby, who has been involved with musician Colin Peel for several years, laughs off rumours of a romance between them. Chris said: “We joke about it all the time. Gaby has her personal life and I have mine. The last 18 months have been very special for both of us, the biggest turning point in our lives. During that time we’ve made some of the most important decisions in our life together. For example, Gaby knew that I wanted to go off and do Toothbrush long before anyone else did. I trust her totally.”
Wild affair with Kim
Chris describes his relationship with singer Kim Wilde as “mad” – though they remain friends. He said: “Mad is the only word I can use to describe what happened between me and Kim. It started madly, it ended madly and what happened in between was equally crazy.”
“I was very fortunate to have experienced that relationship. Kim Wilde is a pretty formidable woman. It would be wrong of me to go into why it ended but I can say it wasn’t for any of the reasons that have been suggested so far. It wasn’t because of our careers or a third party. Perhaps Kim and I would have been all right if people had left us alone but we never had the chance to get on with it. We were always in the spotlight. A lot of people seemed to think it was a publicity stunt but that’s just rubbish.I don’t have time for playing games like that. Our separation wasn’t at all acrimonious and we’re still the best of friends. I haven’t spoken to her for a while but would do gladly.”
Asked if the decision to part was mutual he said: “I can’t say. If the story behind our splitting up should ever be told it shouldn’t be told by me.”
So relaxed with Rachel
Chris and Rachel Tatton-Brown, 25, have been dating for just three weeks. It was rumoured that their relationship was behind his split with Kim. But Chris said: “That just isn’t true – she was a friend for a long while before things developed. She worked on the Big Breakfast and then joined the team on Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush. We were spending so much time together that in the end we thought: “Well, why not?”
In Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush, which was launched on Saturday, Rachel appeared as Chris’s glamorous assistant. But Chris denies he chose her for the job.
He said: “I know it’s hard for people to believe but I had nothing to do with Rachel joining either show. They were decisions made by other people. The amount of work we have on means we spend far more time talking then snogging. Rachel’s a great friend and good company.”
Chris is quick to stress that his relationship with Rachel is not about to end in marriage. He said: “It’s a very relaxed thing. It’s just nice to be with someone who likes me for who I am.”
“Just lately I’ve grown used to drawing the attentions of women who are only interested in Chris Evans the TV star. I suppose I could go out with a different bimbo every night, but Rachel has suggested I stick to just the one.”
Lips are sealed
Alison Ward, the mother of Chris’s six-year-old daughter, Jade has attacked him for not being involved in their child’s upbringing. But Chris insisted: “It would be wholly inappropriate for me to talk about the situation with Alison.”