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Michael McIntyre's rollercoaster love story with his wife, who has a very famous sister, is like something out of a romantic comedy.
The 47-year-old comedian fell head over heels for Kitty Ward, but it wasn't love at first sight for her. Despite initial disapproval from his grandmother, the couple are now happily married with two sons, Lucas and Oscar.
The funnyman often uses his family life as material for his stand-up routines, making light of the ups and downs of raising kids and the challenges of marriage.
Recently, Michael has moved into presenting, hosting the popular BBC game show The Wheel, where celebrities test their general knowledge to help three lucky contestants. He's also back on our screens on Saturday nights with his own programme, Michael McIntyre's Big Show.
While Kitty has been a pillar of support throughout Michael's successful career as one of Britain's most well-known comedians, their journey hasn't always been easy. Express.co.uk takes a closer look at Michael's life away from the spotlight...
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Michael McIntyre's Big Show is a huge hit (Image: BBC/Hungry McBear/)
In his 2010 book, Life and Laughing, Michael confessed that Kitty, an aromatherapist, wasn't as taken with him as he was with her when they first met.
He wrote: "She was the girl I had been looking for. In the romantic comedy that was my life, this would have made a good ending.
"We would fall happily ever after. Within moments of seeing her and chatting to her, I was totally up for that ending. Unfortunately, she wasn't." Luckily, Kitty eventually returned Michael's affections, and the couple got married in 2003."
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Michael McIntyre and Kitty McIntyre are seen on the red carpet during the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards (Image: LightRocket via Getty Images)
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Kitty McIntyre and Michael McIntyre (Image: Getty Images)
Michael revealed that not everyone in his family was pleased about him having a girlfriend. In a surprising twist to their love story, his grandmother even tried to break them up.
During an episode of BBC Radio 4's Dessert Island Discs, Michael shared: "Unfortunately my grandma didn't really like it when I got a girlfriend. She was trying to break us up, which was funny for a while but then it became quite vicious, an untenable situation."
Kitty's dad, Simon Ward, was a famous actor who starred in big films like The Three Musketeers and Young Winston. Her sister, Sophie Ward, is also an actress and has been in films like Young Sherlock Holmes and Jane Eyre. After their dad passed away in 2012, Michael said: "He was one of my closest friends. He would come to my gigs in the early days."
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Michael's money went up a lot in 2020 because of his work on the BBC and a deal with Netflix. He bought a big house in London that has eight bedrooms, a swimming pool, a cinema room, and a gym. It's thought to be worth £10million. They also have a house in Wiltshire. Michael once made a joke about being a dad, saying: "You never love your children more than when they're unconscious, but still breathing."
In 2018, some bad people targeted Michael because he's rich. They attacked him while he was waiting for his son outside school. The men wore masks, rode mopeds, broke the window of his Range Rover, and took his expensive Rolex watch.
Despite the scary event, Michael went back to his show that same week. His family told the BBC they're not worried about their safety now.
Someone who saw it happen told The Mirror that Michael was very upset after the bad guys broke into his car. "Michael looked distraught and in a state of shock after what happened," they said. "It must have been terrifying. A woman who looked like his wife also seemed very upset and in tears."
Michael and Kitty arriving for the National Television Awards 2010 (Image: PA)