Miranda Hart has found her happily ever after but it was not an easy journey for the much-loved comedian.
The star, 51, last night revealed that she and is overjoyed at finding love later in life. Speaking on , she told viewers: "I've got my best friend to do life with and it's wonderful." Talking about her return to TV, she added: "And I'm also utterly thrilled to be back in tele land and having a book out. Um so yeah, thanks so much for all your support."
While chatting about her latest book - I Haven't Been Entirely Honest With You - she shared that she met her husband two years ago, and more details will be . She explained excitedly: "I'm married, I got married at 51 and it's just so lovely! I'd written Gary for onscreen Miranda and it wasn't until I was 49 that I met my person.
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"It's a little undercurrent in the book, I'm not going to reveal how we met because that's a little bit of a twist. He's my best friend, we had the best fun and I'm just thrilled to be a young bride at 51." However she did let on that she managed to find love in the most difficult circumstances.
Miranda has suffered for a decade with and it was only recently that she received a diagnosis of - with the condition traced back to her teenage years. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection which can spread to humans via a tick bite. If diagnosed early, it can be easily treated, but the actress wasn't aware this was the cause of her illness for a long period.
Opening up on her struggles and she said: "The fact that I met someone during a pandemic, during chronic illness, when I couldn't get out of bed or out of the house... I really, really wanted to meet someone, I didn't want to do life on my own anymore."
Miranda had been confined to her own home for a long time due to her illness, which put a pause on her on-screen career. Speaking to Radio 4's Today programme, she said: "I was basically bed-bound - and house-bound. There'd be times where I'd look at a glass of water, and think ‘I don’t know how to pick that up'. All anyone wants is to be heard, accepted, loved and seen… and when you’re not - particularly in a medical situation - it’s the worst."
Part of the motive for her new book was to share with readers what she discovered during her difficult recovery. When she was well enough, she ploughed her time into years of research on how to live better after doctors said they couldn't do anymore to help her. "I thought what are the universal truths?" she asked.
"So I did years of research, when I felt able to, and in the book there are 10 keys, which I call my treasures, to living well. And they've really genuinely [helped]. I feel like despite the suffering it came from, that I’m living a life of joy and meaning and fulfilment in a way I never have before. I feel like I know who I honestly am, in a way that I never knew I needed to, which is just incredible."
She added: "I’m blessed to have found a path to recovery, a path that was incredibly hard won and a fire tended to day in and day out as I navigated both the medical and holistic health worlds, as well as my own inner landscape, to find a way out of the dark."
Miranda echoed this sentiment in a heartfelt video when promoting the new book back in July. "I'm sharing the treasures that I learned in darkness," she said. "The things that helped me to live and feel like I am free and joyful and peaceful and physically recovered in a way that I never thought possible."
The turbulent period has forced the Emma actor to only do minimal work in recent years, and alongside her debilitating condition, she has also had to navigate a tough time with anxiety. Writing in her previous book Miranda's Daily Dose Of Such Fun, she revealed: "Life during times of acute anxiety has been like wading through treacle and on bad days getting to the end of the street to post a letter was hard, such was the extreme level of fear in my body."
And in 2018, the comedian also said she believes she can be a negative person. "There’s a lot of talk about comedians being depressed and I think, in many cases, it’s absolutely true," she said. "I definitely have that side to my personality – naturally my glass is half-empty, so I make a conscious effort to keep the positive attitude going."
She has also recounted her awful experiences with online trolls due to her job being in the public eye. Last year she wrote on X, previously : "I naively thought Twitter ‘abuse’ might’ve eased. It doesn’t bother me that someone says I deserve cancer coz I’m unfunny or look pregnant with weight gain. It’s the shock of how we treat each other. We all deserve & desire dignity so why do we forget to give that to fellow humans?"
In 2021, Miranda also told fans that she was taking a break from social media and her career following the sad death of her beloved pooch Peggy. In an emotional tribute, she detailed the 'excruciating sadness' of losing her 'loyal, loving best friend', who inspired her 2016 memoir Peggy and Me.
If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email or visit their site to find your local branch
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