Hugh Bonneville has been in the public eye for nearly 40 years (Picture: Nathan Congleton/ NBC via Getty Images)
Over the years, Hugh Bonneville has become known for his roles playing beloved characters in franchises like Downton Abbey and Paddington.
However, his latest role in ITV’s Douglas is Cancelled, created by Steven Moffat, will see him play a national treasure news presenter who is faced with a potentially career ending slip-up after being accused of telling a sexist joke at a wedding.
The four-part series is released today, and stars Karen Gillan as Douglas’ co-anchor Madeline Crow, as well as Alex Kingston as his wife Sheila, Simon Russell Beale as his agent Bentley, Ben Miles as producer Toby Patterson, Madeleine Power as his daughter Claudia and Nick Mohammed as Morgan, a comedy writer tasked with trying to minimise the fall out.
After starting his career nearly 40 years ago, Hugh has also starred in Notting Hill, Doctor Who, The Monuments Men and The Gold.
He is also set to reprise his role as Robert Crawley, 7th Earl of Grantham in the upcoming third and final Downton Abbey film, which is yet to be titled.
As we prepare to watch Hugh’s next project, what do we know about the actor’s life away from the cameras?
Is Hugh Bonneville married?
He split from wife Lulu Williams last year (Picture: Neil Hall/ EPA-EFE/ Rex/ Shutterstock)
Hugh Bonneville is not currently married after he split from his wife of 25 years in 2023.
Who is Hugh Bonneville’s ex-wife and does he have any children?
Hugh married Lucinda Williams in 1998 and shared a 23-year-old son, Felix.
The couple previously lived in West Sussex, however in September last year it was announced they’d separated after 25 years together.
It came after he was spotted at the wedding of his Downton co-star Michelle Dockery to Jasper Waller-Bridge, flying solo without his wife, who goes by Lulu, and without his wedding ring on.
The actor appeared in the 1999 movie Notting Hill alongside Hugh Grant (Picture: Clive Coote/ Polygram/ Kobal/ Rex/ Shutterstock)
The Paddington star and his wife had renewed their vows in Las Vegas’ Graceland Chapel in 2018 however last year a source told The Sun that Hugh had ended his marriage in July 2023.
The source claimed, ‘he sat Lulu down one evening and said it’s over’, which reportedly ‘came out of the blue’ for her.
The split came after Hugh praised his wife for being his ‘bedrock’ and ‘anchor’.
He has also played Lord Grantham in the Downton Abbey TV series and movies (Picture: Jaap Buitendijk/ Focus/ Kobal/ Rex/ Shutterstock)
He had also previously reflected that he always thought he would be single for a long time, recalling Lulu had been running a business at the time they met and it was his mother who put them back in touch.
‘I thought I would be a bachelor for years. I’ve often been the guy who doesn’t get the girl,’ he shared.
‘Lulu was running a marquee company, my mother rang her to hire some chairs or something and said, “Do you remember Hugh?” and that was how we reconnected.’
He was married to Lulu for 25 years (Picture: Jim Smeal/ BEI/ Rex/ Shutterstock)
The couple share son Felix, who is now in his 20s (Picture: Gregory Pace/ Rex/ Shutterstock)
‘It did infuriate me that I had to give full credit to my mum for reintroducing us,’ he joked.
Lulu previously insisted that she and her husband were not fazed by his celebrity status because they had known each other for so long.
‘I don’t take any notice,’ she stated. ‘I don’t notice women fawning over him — although I know everybody talks about it.
‘Don’t forget, we met as teenagers and have a lot of history. We’re not fazed by the glitz of the showbusiness world. We are just home-loving people and don’t make a habit of hanging out at celebrity parties.’
Is Hugh Bonneville in a relationship now?
He was linked to a Canadian actress earlier this year (Picture: Jeff Spicer/ WireImage)
His latest role is alongside Karen Gillan in the ITV series Douglas is Cancelled (Picture: ITV)
Earlier this year Hugh was linked to Canadian actress Claire Rankin, who has appeared in Ally McBeal, Charmed, Monk, House and The Mentalist.
In March they were photographed leaving a restaurant in London together arm-in-arm, with the actor also reportedly taking her to an event at Buckingham Palace.
Claire was previously married to actor Josh Randall, who starred alongside Hugh in the CBS sitcom Courting Alex, which aired for one season in 2006.
The former couple are said to have divorced in 2013.
Douglas is Cancelled starts tonight at 9pm on ITV1. All four episodes are now streaming on ITVX.
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