The Longest & Shortest Celebrity Marriages From 55 Days to 74 Years
From marriages that lasted decades and counting, to ones that were annulled quicker than you can say 'divorce', we take a look back at the longest and shortest celebrity marriages
You know we love a celebrity wedding here at Hitched, but what about the marriages themselves? We’re about to take a look at the longest and shortest celebrity marriages of all time, from committed relationships that are decades-long and counting, to whirlwind romances that lasted a matter of days, we can’t get enough of these iconic couples.
For some of these celebrity couples, the vow 'til death do us part' really does mean something, with marriages lasting decades and decades with no sign of a struggle. And for other celebrity couples, enough was enough.
Equally as admirable, we're about to take a look at the couples who worked through their problems and championed commitment, as well as those who were strong enough to walk away when things got rough in some of the longest and shortest celebrity marriages like, ever.
42 of the Longest & Shortest Celebrity Marriages of All Time
Our list takes you on a ride through incredible royal wedding marriages that lasted a lifetime, to some of the shortest celebrity marriages the world has ever seen. From famous UK weddings, to couples that set some seriously surprising celebrity wedding trends, it's time to take a look at who's love is long-lasting, and which couples couldn't make it work.
Who's the longest? And which couple set the record for the shortest? Get your guesses in and the scroll down to see if you're right...
- The Longest Celebrity Marriages of 15 Years & More
- The Shortest Celebrity Marriages of Less Than Two Years
27 of the Longest Celebrity Marriages
1. Amanda Holden & Chris Hughes
Marriage Length: 15 years and counting
TV presenter and Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden met record producer Chris Hughes in LA back in 2004. After dating for four years, the pair tied the knot in 2008 and have been happily married ever since.
Their wedding took place in St Margaret’s Church in Somerset and had a Christmas theme. As well as fifteen years of marriage under their belt, Amanda and Chris have two daughters, Alexa and Hollie, and live in a lavish mansion in Richmond.
2. Emma & Matt Willis
Marriage Length: 15 years and counting
TV presenter Emma Willis and Busted singer Matt married in a hotel wedding venue almost 15 years ago. The couple met on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway when Matt’s vocals won Emma over, leading the pair to eventually tie the knot in Rushton Hall along with friends and family in 2008.
These two have always been couple goals for us - here’s to many more years.
3. Beyoncé & Jay-Z
Marriage Length: 15 years and counting
Queen Bey and Jay-Z are one of Hollywood’s longest standing power couples with fifteen years of marriage under their belt. Whilst other showbiz couples seem to be divorcing left, right and centre, Beyoncé and her rapper husband show no signs of partition. Jay-Z put a ring on it back in 2007 and the pair have been crazy in love ever since. Okay…we’ll stop now.
4. Holly Willoughby & Dan Baldwin
Marriage Length: 16 years and counting
This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby married husband Dan Baldwin at Amberley Castle just one year after he popped the question while she was in the bath - an unusual way to propose, but we kind of love it. Their wedding was beautiful and Holly loved her gown so much, she re-wore it for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding.
5. Elton John & David Furnish
Marriage Length: 18 years and counting
Elton John met his long-term partner David Furnish at a mutual friend’s dinner party in 1993. The chemistry was undeniable and the pair instantly hit it off. They had a civil ceremony back in 2005 - almost two decades ago, and then, as soon as same-sex marriage was legalised in the UK nearly ten years later, Elton and David had their legal wedding ceremony in 2014.
6. King Charles & Camilla Parker-Bowles
Marriage Length: 17 years and counting
King Charles married the Duchess of Cornwall (now Queen Consort) in 2005 after meeting 35 years prior. The pair first went public with their relationship in the summer of 1998 and moved into Clarence House together in 2003. Their civil ceremony took place at Windsor Guildhall where Prince William was his father's best man.
7. Emma Thompson & Greg Wise
Marriage Length: 20 years and counting
Emma Thompson met her now-husband on the set of Sense and Sensibility. Before filming, a friend told Greg he’d meet the woman he would marry on this set. As Emma was already married to her first husband, Kenneth Brannagh, Greg assumed his friend wasn’t referring to her and initially took Emma’s co-star, Kate Winslet, out on a date.
When that didn’t work out, he and Emma began dating and he finally realised that’s who his friend was talking about - the rest is history!
8. Keith Lemon & Jill Carter
Marriage Length: 21 years and counting
Funny man Keith Lemon rarely shows his serious side to fans, but when it comes to his relationship with wife Jill Carter, he couldn’t be more sincere. On his wedding anniversary last Halloween, Keith shared a picture of him and Jill with the caption, “How time flies when ya madly in love! I’ve fed the dog, see ya when I’m back from @gmb love you loads and loads xxx.”
9. Bear & Shara Grylls
Marriage Length: 23 years and counting
Bear Grylls met the love of his life while running along a beach in Scotland, completely naked after the waves ripped away his clothes - *so* Bear Grylls, right? In-keeping with the theme of not wearing any clothes, he later popped the question to Shara whilst skinny dipping.
Bear and Shara got married in 2000. They are now 23 years into marriage and share three sons who they raised on their River Thames houseboat.
10. Claudia Winkleman & Kris Thykier
Marriage Length: 23 years and counting
TV presenting heavyweight Claudia Winkleman married film and television producer Kris Thykier 23 years ago and told the Mirror, “I married him because he always asks the cab driver how his day was; I love the fact he’ll never take a seat on the tube; I’m happy he believes in big tips and not making a mess.”
With 23 years of marriage behind them, it’s pretty safe to say these two are 100% faithfuls - no traitors here.
11. Ruth Jones & David Peet
Marriage Length: 24 years and counting
Back in the early nineties, before Gavin and Stacey was even a thing, Ruth Jones was working alongside future co-star Rob Brydon on a BBC Wales series where she met TV and radio producer David Peet. The pair tied the knot in 1999 and she is step-mum to David’s three children from his previous marriage. The pair are so private, we struggled to find a photo of them together!
12. Victoria & David Beckham
Marriage Length: 24 years and counting
We’re the people who brought you the ultimate timeline of David and Victoria Beckham’s relationship, so yes, we’re huge fans of their inspirational marriage institution. From their first date 26 years ago to watching their eldest son tie the knot just last year, these two have been serving couple goals since crop tops were a thing (the first time!).
They married in an elaborate ceremony in 1999 and Victoria wore a Vera Wang wedding dress we’ll genuinely never forget.
13. Jo Brand & Bernie Bourke
Marriage Length: 26 years and counting
Hilarious comedian Jo Brand has been married to her husband Bernie Bourke since 1997. Though she shares little about her personal life, we do know that her and Bernie bonded over his career as a psychiatric nurse as, before she was a famous comedian, Jo was also a psychiatric nurse. The couple have two daughters, Maisie and Eliza.
14. Dame Helen Mirren & Taylor Hackford
Marriage Length: 26 years and counting
Dame Helen Mirren has achieved so much in her life. From being the only actor in the UK and the US to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting to winning numerous awards and accolades, and her amazing 26-year-long marriage to Taylor Hackford is yet another achievement worth celebrating.
After having first dated in 1986, Helen married American film director Taylor in 1997 and the pair have been happily married ever since.
15. Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick
Marriage Length: 26 years and counting
Carrie Bradshaw had some real fashion moments we’ll never forget, but the real Carrie Bradshaw, aka Sarah Jessica Parker, topped them all when she wore a dazzling black wedding dress to her 1997 wedding to Matthew Broderick.
The couple were first introduced to each other in 1991 and began dating the following year. In 1997 the couple got married in a surprise wedding ceremony, with 100 guests at a Lower East Side synagogue - so romantic!
16. Lisa Kudrow & Michael Stern
Marriage Length: 28 years and counting
Friends star and fan-favourite Lisa Kudrow may not have had much luck in love when it came to her depiction of Phoebe Buffay, but her real-life relationship has proved much more successful. Lisa first met Michael Stern, a French advertising exec, when he was dating her roommate in the 1980s.
They didn’t get together until the mid 90s and tied the knot in 1995 in a gorgeous Malibu wedding ceremony where Lisa wore an off the shoulder wedding dress with pearl accessories. Of course she had some amazing celebrity wedding guests including almost all of her Friends co-stars.
17. Martin Kemp & Shirlie Holliman
Marriage Length: 35 years and counting
Martin and Shirlie Kemp first began dating in 1983 after meeting on Top of the Pops when Shirlie was performing with Wham! as a backup singer. The late George Michael chaperoned Shirlie on her first date with Martin and went on to be made godfather to Shirlie and Michael’s two children, Roman and Harley.
After 35 years of marriage, the couple are still as in love as ever and recently competed together on The Masked Singer as pop duo 'Cat & Mouse'.
18. Jonathan Ross & Jane Goldman
Marriage Length: 35 years and counting
Jonathan Ross met and fell in love with his now-wife when he was 26 and she was just 16. Jane was at the beginning of her career as a showbiz reporter and Jonathan was a broadcaster already making a name for himself in the industry. The couple have been married for 35 years having tied the knot in 1988 and have since had three children, Betty Kitten, Harvey Kirby and Honey Kinny.
19. Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson
Marriage Length: 35 years and counting
Though they have been married for 35 years, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson’s relationship actually dates back more than four decades. They first met on the set of Bosom Buddies in 1981 and began their relationship as friends.
Their relationship blossomed and was made public in 1986 and by 1988, they were married. Parents to Chester ‘Chet’ and Truman Theodore, as well as Tom's children Colin and Elizabeth from a previous relationship, the couple have proven to be one of Hollywood’s most solid marriage institutions and show no signs of relationship fatigue.
20. Lee Evans & Heather Nudds
Marriage Length: 39 years and counting
Comedian Lee Evans decided to retire in 2014 following the death of his manager, to devote more time to his wife, Heather Nudds. The couple first met when they were teenagers. Lee first spotted Heather on a bus and, when the pair bumped into each other again a few weeks later, they began dating.
Lee and Heather got married in 1984 and have a daughter, Mollie, together. Though they keep their private life quite…private, all you have to do is listen to some Lee Evans archives to hear hilarious stories about their relationship.
21. Denzel & Pauletta Washington
Marriage Length: 40 years and counting
With four decades of marriage behind them, Denzel and Pauletta Washington are giving serious relationship goals. They first met on the set of Wilma in 1977 and eventually began dating a year later.
They’d already been together for five years when they tied the knot in 1983, meaning the couple have actually been together for just over 45 years - a commitment that’s so impressive and admirable, especially in the world of Hollywood.
22. Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne
Marriage Length: 41 years and counting
Speaking of relationship goals, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne are our very own British rock ‘n’ roll institution with more than four decades of marriage under their belts. They first met in 1970, more than 50 years ago, but didn’t start a romantic relationship until 1979 and later wed in 1982.
The couple have three children, Aimee, Kelly and Jack Osbourne and have been married for a staggering 41 years this year.
23. Samuel L. Jackson & LaTanya Richardson
Marriage Length: 43 years and counting
Samuel L. Jackson met his now-wife LaTanya in college where they made a pact to stay together - and they’ve certainly stuck to it.
In an interview with People, the couple said, “In the beginning, we always said the most revolutionary thing that black people could do was stay together, raise their children with the nucleus of having a father and a mother, since everybody likes to pretend that that's not the dynamic of the African American family. That it's just children out here being raised by women, which we know is false.
"In order to change that narrative, we made a decision to say, 'We are going to stay together no matter what. We'll figure it out.'"
And that’s exactly what they did. Through thick and thin, highs and lows, the pair have remained a team for 43 years of marriage.
24. Sir David Attenborough & Jane Oriel
Marriage Length: 47 years
Sir David Attenborough was married to his wife Jane Oriel for almost 50 years before she sadly passed away in 1997. Jane suffered a brain haemorrhage in the late nineties. David flew back from filming in New Zealand to be by his wife’s side while she was in a coma.
Speaking of her death in his memoir, David wrote, “The focus of my life, the anchor had gone… Now, I was lost.” During their 47 year-long marriage, the couple had many gorgeous memories, including the birth of their two children, Robert and Susan.
25. Alan & Alison Titchmarsh
Marriage Length: 48 years and counting
Green-fingered Alan Titchmarsh, star of Ground Force, Gardener’s World and Love Your Garden, married his wife Alison in a sweet ceremony some 48 years ago.
The couple tied the knot in 1975 and are still going strong almost fifty years later. When talking about his wife, Alan often describes Alison as his ‘best friend’. The couple have two daughters together, Polly who was born in 1980, and Camilla who was born in 1982.
26. Mary Berry & Paul J.M. Hunnings
Marriage Length: 57 years and counting
Certified national treasure Mary Berry married her now-husband Paul Hunnings in 1966 after three turned down proposals. Yes, you read that right!
Paul proposed to Mary three times before she finally said yes and they wed in a church ceremony near Mary’s parents’ home in Bath, where she was born. Her bargain wedding dress cost just £5 and she made her own wedding cake, of course.
27. Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip
Marriage Length: 74 years
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's marriage was incredible and spanned over 74 years until the Duke passed away in April 2021. The Queen and Prince Philip got married in iconic landmark wedding venue Westminster Abbey in the city of London and welcomed a staggering 2,500 wedding guests.
When celebrating their milestone wedding anniversary after 50 years together, the Queen said, “He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years.”
Their marriage showcased devotion, commitment and a level of understanding we can all admire.
15 of The Shortest Celebrity Marriages Ever
Now we’ve looked at some of the most established marriages in celebrity-dom and the longest-lasting loves, it’s only right to have a look back at some of the love stories that weren’t meant to be. Here are a selection of the shortest celebrity marriages including one that didn't make it past the third day!
1. Chrishell Stause & Justin Hartley
Marriage Length: 2 years
Chrishell Stause burst onto our screens in Season 1 of Netflix’s Selling Sunset. Sadly, the following seasons aired the breakdown of her marriage with actor Justin Hartley. The pair had got together before her Hollywood success and were a couple for a total of six years, but married for just two.
Justin filed for divorce after 24 months of marriage citing ‘irreconcilable differences', while Chrishell publicly claimed she was completely blindsided by the split.
2. Adele & Simon Konecki
Marriage Length: 2 years
Adele and ex-husband Simon Konecki had been together for seven years before they decided to get married in 2018. The couple began dating in 2011 and their son, Angelo James was born a year later in 2012. They waited years to tie the knot, but the relationship wasn’t meant to be and the pair filed for divorce after two years together.
The separation was finalised in early 2021 and it’s said the breakdown of the relationship inspired Adele’s iconic album, 30.
3. Avril Lavigne & Chad Kroeger
Marriage Length: 2 years
Rock chick Avril Lavigne wasted no time getting serious with her ex Chad Kroeger - the pair got engaged just one month after they began dating. They tied the knot on 1st July 2013, just one year after getting engaged, but sadly parted ways after just two years of marriage. Avril is now happily engaged to punk artist Mod Sun - here’s hoping this one is a little less complicated…
4. Alesha Dixon & MC Harvey
Marriage Length: 17 Months
Though she’s been happily married to husband Azuka Ononye since 2017, we’ll never forget that time when Alesha Dixon and MC Harvey were an item. The Mis-Teeq singer tied the knot with So Solid Crew’s MC Harvey in 2005, but the rapping duo weren’t destined for long-term love and separated the following year.
5. Russell Brand & Katy Perry
Marriage Length: 14 Months
Russell Brand and Katy Perry gave us the American-English wedding we never saw coming. The pair met while filming Get Him to the Greek and began dating after Katy threw a bottle at Brand’s head to get his attention, telling him he’d finally ‘met his match’.
They got engaged in January 2010 after just four months of dating and by October that year, they were married. Though their marriage ended almost as quickly as it began, both Russell and Katy are both happily married and engaged respectively with partners Laura Gallagher and Orlando Bloom.
6. Wiz Khalifa & Amber Rose
Marriage Length: 14 Months
Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose were one of hip-hop’s hottest couples from the moment they began dating in 2011, to the announcement of their divorce in 2014. The couple were married for a year and had a son together, Sebastian (known as Bash). But while their romance didn’t last very long, their friendship has.
Though the initial separation had its fair share of drama, Wiz and Amber have since remained good friends and take the co-parenting of their son Bash very seriously.
7. Katie Price & Alex Reid
Marriage Length: 11 Months
Katie Price and Alex Reid met in 2009 after her split from ex-husband Peter Andre. The pair hit it off straight away and within a year of meeting, they were married.
However, just 11 months after their Las Vegas wedding, Katie and Alex announced their separation in 2011. Alex was Katie’s second husband and one year after their split, Katie went on to marry Kieran Hayler who she subsequently split from in 2021.
8. Chantelle Houghton & Preston
Marriage Length: 10 Months
We were all glued to our screens during the 2006 series of Celebrity Big Brother as we watched singer Preston and non-celebrity Chantelle fall in love. Though the intended storyline of the series was supposed to be Chantelle fooling the celebrities into thinking she was a member of a fictional girl band called Kandy Floss, the real hook was Chantelle and Preston’s budding romance.
After Chantelle won their series, the pair got engaged and married all within the same year - but their marriage only lasted ten months and they separated in June 2007. You can check out their gorgeous Mayfair wedding venue here…
9. Miley Cyrus & Liam Hemsworth
Marriage Length: 8 Months
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth were the hottest couple in Hollywood at one point, but their relationship had more ups and downs than an Alton Towers rollercoaster with the couple going from engaged, to un-engaged, to engaged again, to married, with their relationship finally ending in divorce.
Miley and Liam tied the knot in 2018 after years of on-again, off-again drama and a pretty lengthy celebrity prenup battle. Though they had dated sporadically since pre 2010, their marriage lasted just eight months and Miley and Liam filed for divorce in August 2019.
Whilst that was almost four years ago now, the breakup is still very much a hot topic with the release of ‘Flowers’ bringing all their relationship drama to the forefront.
10. Peaches Geldof & Max Drummey
Marriage Length: 6 Months
The late Peaches Geldof tied the knot with American musician Max Drummey in a spontaneous Las Vegas ceremony at one of the many, many chapels on the step. They got married in late 2008, but by February the following year, the pair had already decided to call it a day on their relationship, proving that what happens in Vegas really should stay in Vegas.
11. Renée Zellweger & Kenny Chesney
Marriage Length: 4 Months
Remember that time Renée Zellweger and Kenny Chesney were married for four months? Us too! The pair had a whirlwind romance which began when they met at NBC’s Concert of Hope tsunami telethon in January 2005 - but even before that, Kenny had written a song in 1999 titled ‘You Had Me at Hello’ based on Renee’s famous line from Jerry Maguire.
Though this love story hits all the right notes, their marriage lasted just four months with Renee citing ‘fraud’ as the reason for her annulment.
12. Eminem & Kim Mathers
Marriage Length: 3 Months
The start of Eminem and Kim Mathers’ relationship dates all the way back to when the pair were in high school together. They met in 1987 when Eminem was 15 and Kim was just 13 years old. The pair had their fair share of ups and downs throughout the nineties and noughties and their relationship, as well as the birth of their daughter Hailie, inspired the majority of Eminem’s music for years to come.
Though their relationship timeline spans across three decades, the pair were only officially married for a short period of time, tying the knot for the first time in July 1999 and separating just months later. In 2006, the pair remarried, but again, this wasn’t meant to be and just three months later, they divorced.
There was initially some bad blood between the couple, but in 2017, Eminem released ‘Bad Husband’ as part of his Revival album which was a public apology to Kim.
13. Kim Kardashian & Kris Humphries
Marriage Length: 72 Days
Kim Kardashian is no stranger to a wedding. Her marriage to her first husband Damon Thomas lasted three years and she was married to Kanye West for eight, but it’s her second marriage to basketball player Kris Humphries that's secured her place on this list.
The pair had a whirlwind romance which saw them meet, date, get engaged, get married and then get divorced in less than 12 months. The couple met and began dating in December 2010, with Kris proposing to the influencer just six months later. They had an elaborate wedding in August of that year, but subsequently filed for divorce just 72 days after tying the knot.
14. Sinead O’Connor & Barry Herridge
Marriage Length: 1 week
Irish singer Sinead O’Connor married Barry Herridge after just four months of dating. The pair tied the knot in Las Vegas on December 8th 2011 but secretly split just one week after the wedding.
Though fans initially thought that was it, on January 4th 2012, Sinead surprised everyone by announcing the pair were ‘boyfriend and girlfriend again’. To cut a long story short, they were over again on January 13th, back on again on January 29th and then off again some time later.
Sinead and Barry never officially divorced and in February 2014, she announced they would be renewing their vows and reconciling, again. However, those plans were short-lived and the singer confirmed just two months later that the plans for renewal had been officially scrapped.
15. Britney Spears & Jason Alexander
Marriage Length: 55 Hours
Topping off our list of the shortest celebrity marriages is Britney Spears and her ex, Jason Alexander. Their marriage lasted a mere 55 hours before it was annulled and Britney is now married to husband Sam Asghari, but Jason recently hit headlines when he sadly tried to access Britney's wedding to Sam.
Jason was later found guilty of aggravated trespassing. Britney had a gorgeous wedding day and a star-studded guestlist that was just as fabulous as she is - you can see her incredible celebrity engagement ring here.
So, there you have it, the longest and shortest celebrity marriages, proving that Hollywood A-listers and British celebs know how to stick together just as much as they know when to call it a day. For more celeb goss, check out our roundup of the celebrities who changed their name after marriage, and those who didn't!
