Nigel Havers has opened up about the moment his wife, Georgiana Bronfman, “flew into a rage” after he agreed to appear on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories in 2017. The 74-year-old actor gave a heartfelt interview reflecting on his personal life and five-decade career on the ITV show, but his decision to go on the programme initially sparked a fierce reaction from Georgiana, his third wife of 18 years.
Looking back, Nigel revealed that Georgiana was strongly opposed to him taking part in the interview. “George always said that I mustn’t do Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, but they offered me so much money, it was impossible to say no,” he explained. He admitted to keeping his participation a secret until the day before filming, which only escalated the tension. “She flew into a rage,” he recalled.
After a tense period when “she disappeared for a while,” a compromise was reached. Nigel shared the amusing resolution with Saga Magazine: “I did worry, but then she came back and said, ‘You can do the show, but we’re getting a dog.’ I said ‘that’s fine,’ although when I suggested calling it Piers, she nearly smacked me.” They ultimately named the dog Charlie, a black poodle whom Nigel clearly adores.
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Despite the initial conflict, Nigel spoke warmly about his wife during the interview with Piers Morgan. He described their shared love of horse racing and the easy connection they found when they first met. “She had been single for a long time, I was fairly newly single, and we just rocked on so well,” he said, adding emotionally, “I’m so happy.”
Nigel praised Georgiana as “fantastic” and expressed gratitude for their relationship. When asked about his emotional response to discussing her, Nigel said, “It’s my luck, I think. We only live once, don’t we? Make the most of it. And I’m just having a wonderful time.”
The interview also touched on Nigel’s past, including his infidelity during his first marriage to Carolyn Cox. They were married from 1974 to 1989 and had a daughter, Kate. Reflecting on his unfaithfulness, he admitted, “I couldn’t resist these gorgeous women. I also always thought it wasn’t such a big deal—it is more now. It’s a good thing that I am totally faithful now.”
Nigel’s life has also been marked by loss. He stood by Carolyn when she died after battling pneumonia in 2011, and his second wife, Polly Williams, passed away from cancer after 15 years of marriage. He previously described Polly’s death on Loose Women as “a major shock” and “a very tough one to get through.”