Dick Strawbridge nearly ended relationship with Angel over 20-year age gap

Angel Adoree scolds Dick Strawbridge over chateau renovation

Dick Strawbridge, star of Escape to the Chateau, revealed that his relationship with wife Angel almost ended due to their 20-year age gap.

The couple met at a party in 2010, following the end of Dick's first marriage. Despite their instant connection and the fun they had together, Dick, 65, was uncertain about their future.

On the How To Be 60 podcast, he explained: “The first date I ever went on was with Angela, after having been separated for six years. We had a lot of fun and it got to the stage really quite quickly where I said, ‘We’re going to have to stop this, this is wonderful having a lot of fun, but you need to go and find a young man and do all the things that young people do, and I’m just going to get on.’”

At that point, the dad-of-two, in his 50s, questioned whether their 20-year age gap would be too much for them to overcome. "[I was] over 50, Angela was sort of 20 years younger and what do we do?" he reflected.

The pair questioned whether their 20-year age gap would be too much for them to overcome (Image: Channel 4)

However, it was The Vintage Patisserie owner Angel, now 46, who insisted that they continue their relationship. She was undeterred by the age difference, and Dick, who was awarded an MBE in 1993, now recognises her determination as one of the pivotal moments in his life.

"It was a really interesting ‘whoa, OK,’" he recalled. "It did take me probably less than a second to go, ‘OK, what the hell, we’re going to do it,’ and that’s the reason why I’m living in a castle with two lovely young kids. It makes no sense. We fit, we work together, we’re complete opposites, it’s illogical that we’re together, but it does work."

Their decision to move forward led to them building a life together. Dick and Angel married in 2015 and now live in the famous French château where they film their popular TV series, Escape to the Chateau. The couple share two children, Arthur, 11, and Dorothy, 10. Despite the initial doubts, their relationship has proven to be a success.

The couple share two children, Arthur and Dorothy (Image: Instagram )

The paid traded in their two-bed apartment in Essex for a dilapidated 19th-century French chateau (Image: Channel 4)

Angel recalls it being "love at first sight" when she met Dick, expressing that the age gap has never been an issue for her.

She also shared her affection for her husband on Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast, saying: “He’s so passionate about life, about everything.

He’s a storyteller and he’s got a certain energy. Honestly, even now he’s got this aura about him of authority. It makes my hairs go on end, he’s a very strong, powerful man, that is very kind as well and he’ll do anything for anyone."

Angel, known for her humour and cheeky personality, shared a playful moment from their relationship when, two years in, she marked an "impregnate me" date in the calendar, as a lighthearted nudge to Dick.