At 79, Janet Street Porter thought she knew herself well enough to face anything.
But when it came to walking down the aisle for the fifth time, even she wasn’t prepared for the fear that came rushing back.
Appearing on Loose Women, the outspoken broadcaster made a raw and unexpected confession — revealing why she secretly married her partner of 26 years, Peter Stanton, away from the public eye last month.
“I was a complete state,” Janet admitted.
“I was shaking. I didn’t sleep. I didn’t trust myself not to mess it up.”
For a woman who has never shied away from honesty, this was one of her most vulnerable moments yet.
A Past That Still Haunts
Janet has been married four times before — and she didn’t hide the fact that one of those marriages left lasting scars.
“I’d messed up the last one badly,” she said.
“It hurt my friends. It hurt me. And I never wanted to put anyone through that again.”
Janet Street Porter, 79, has revealed the heartbreaking reason why she kept her wedding to her partner of 26 years a secret on Tuesday’s Loose Women
She has famously been married four times before and it took her over two decades to finally take the plunge again with her long-term partner, Peter Stanton
That fear — of repeating old mistakes — was what pushed her to keep this wedding quiet.
No big announcement.
No guest list.
No spotlight.
Just Janet, Peter, and a promise she wanted to get right.
Janet said that she and Peter and ‘absolutely thrilled’ to have finally tied the knot after more than 25 years as a couple
As Janet’s fourth marriage was a big mistake that affected everyone in her life, she was particularly worked up at the prospect of marrying again
Why This Time Felt Different
Another reason for the nerves?
This was Peter’s first marriage.
“I wanted it to be beautiful for him,” Janet explained.
“I didn’t want to embarrass him. I didn’t want to turn it into a joke.”
Even something as small as paperwork weighed heavily on her — including having to legally marry under her previous married name, something she admitted still upsets her deeply.
Yet when they arrived at the registry office, something unexpected happened.
“It was empty,” she recalled.
“No one there. A huge room. Chairs for 100 people. And it was over in ten minutes.”
And just like that — after more than two decades together — they were married.
‘I Saved the Best Till Last’
Janet finally revealed the secret on Loose Women days later, beaming as she shared the news with viewers.
“I’ve been keeping a big secret,” she said with a smile.
“Peter and I got married on Saturday. I finally did it. I saved the best till last.”
After a lifetime of love, mistakes, lessons and resilience, Janet says she’s never been more certain.
“We’re absolutely thrilled.”
And perhaps that’s the most powerful part of the story — not the secrecy, not the fear — but the courage it took to try again.
