Prue Leith Reveals 13-Year Secret Affair with Married Mentor

Original source: Begin Again with Davina McCall
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This video from Begin Again with Davina McCall covered a lot of ground. 6 segments stood out as worth your time. Everything below links directly to the timestamp in the original video.

Explore the complexities of forbidden love and the difficult choices people make when personal desires clash with societal norms and loyalty.

Prue Leith Reveals 13-Year Secret Affair with Married Mentor

Prue Leith has revealed details of her 13-year secret affair with Rain, her first husband, who was 20 years older than her and married to her mother's best friend. The relationship began when Leith was 21, shortly after her father's death, with Rain acting as her mentor and chairman of her burgeoning business. The pair maintained their relationship in secret, often being seen together professionally, which masked their romantic involvement.

The long-standing secret came to an end when Leith, at 34, expressed a strong desire to have a baby. Rain insisted that any child born of their relationship should know its father, prompting them to reveal their affair to his wife, who was naturally devastated. This pivotal decision forced a dramatic shift in their lives, moving their hidden affection into the public eye and altering their family dynamics profoundly.

"I said to Rain, 'Look, I really want a baby... but let's just have a baby and I will just never tell anybody whose it is.' And he said that's not fair on the baby."

▶ Watch this segment — 30:48

Prue Leith Advocates for Assisted Dying, Citing Brother's Agonizing Death

Prue Leith advocates passionately for assisted dying, a conviction solidified by the agonizing death of her brother, who suffered from bone cancer. She recounts his desperate pleas to die, enduring a lack of adequate pain management in an NHS hospital. This personal tragedy highlighted for her the severe emotional toll on carers, including her sister-in-law, who was left with guilt over wishing for her husband's death.

Leith contrasts her firm stance with the more nuanced view of her son, Daniel, who previously held a more dogmatic opposition to assisted dying. Following a documentary they filmed together, Daniel now accepts the practice of compassionate doctors administering high doses of morphine to alleviate pain, even if it indirectly shortens a patient's life. He distinguishes this from direct assisted dying, arguing that the intention remains pain relief rather than intentional killing, and that patients remain under professional care.

"My brother... was just crying and weeping and sometimes screaming and begging to be killed because he wanted to die so badly."

▶ Watch this segment — 50:11

Prue Leith Recounts Realization of Apartheid's Horror Through Nanny's Ordeal

Prue Leith describes growing up in a liberal English-speaking family in South Africa, where they were taught apartheid was wrong but were compelled to live by its laws. The true horror of the system became clear to her when she learned her black nanny, Emma, could only see her children for two weeks a year. Emma's children lived a thousand miles away in the Eastern Cape, a consequence of the Group Areas Act which forcibly relocated people based on tribal divisions.

This personal revelation of systemic injustice profoundly impacted Leith, who, upon attending university in Cape Town, briefly joined anti-apartheid protest movements. She humorously recalls a failed attempt to gain "street cred" by getting arrested during a student parade, only for a policeman to quickly discern her as a mere hanger-on and release her. Her early experiences instilled an independent spirit, leading her to seek education and opportunities beyond South Africa's confines, driven by a desire to explore the broader world.

"What made me realize how wrong it was that was one Christmas... she didn't see her children all year."

▶ Watch this segment — 17:27

Rain's First Wife Forged Friendship with Prue Leith After Affair Revelation

Prue Leith recounts how Rain's first wife, Nan, eventually reconciled with their relationship and even became a close friend. Initially devastated by the affair, Nan later invited Leith to lunch, where she shared a parallel personal story: she had met Rain when he was 24, after her first husband died in the war, and she was 20 years older with three small children. Nan recalled her own mother's warnings about the age gap, to which she had replied that even five years of love would be worth it, demonstrating an understanding of Leith's situation.

This surprising rapprochement led to the families becoming friends, with Nan often staying at Leith and Rain's country home. However, the situation was confusing for the children, who grew up with both Nan and Leith. Leith humorously recalls one of her children asking about wedding rings, noting that she wore two herself, one of which was initially a curtain ring. The children’s innocent query highlighted the unusual family dynamics, but ultimately, the blended families maintained friendly relations.

"She said, 'I know what you... I know what it feels like.'"

▶ Watch this segment — 37:15

Prue Leith Recounts Adoption of Daughter from Cambodian Killing Fields

Prue Leith and Rain decided to build their family with two children: one biological and one adopted. Rain, having already raised three children from his first marriage, agreed to have one biological child for Leith and then chose to adopt a second, envisioning a sibling for their son. They adopted their daughter, Lita, from Cambodia, a child refugee from the Khmer Rouge genocide who was only weeks old when she was flown out and 16 months old when she finally found her permanent home.

Lita endured a "checkered" early life with multiple failed adoption attempts before reaching Leith and Rain, yet she grew into a balanced and happy woman, now 52. Leith attributes Lita's resilience to always having been loved by those who cared for her, despite the many transitions, affirming her belief that babies inherently seek attachment if not harmed or frightened. Leith also recalls a humorous incident where her son, Daniel, who was close in age to Lita, expressed a desire to wear one of his sister's frilly dresses, highlighting the playful and unconventional nature of their family life.

"The only thing that will prevent them putting their arms around anyone... is if they've been frightened or hurt and if they've never been anything but loved."

▶ Watch this segment — 40:24

Prue Leith Celebrates Joys of Aging, Finding Love Twice

Prue Leith expresses deep gratitude for having experienced two happy marriages, first to Rain and then to John, whom she married after eight years of widowhood. She describes her first husband as a wonderful man, acknowledging their 20-year age gap meant he would likely die before her, but cherishing their 25 years together. After finding widowhood unexpectedly difficult, she recounts her luck in finding love again, noting that her current marriage of 15 years brings her immense happiness and excitement.

This perspective on love and life later in years is central to her new book, dedicated to her numerous grandchildren. Leith aims to dispel the notion that getting old is "gross," instead highlighting the joys and hilarity that come with age. She shares a humorous anecdote about her mother, who, in her 80s and after being vegetarian for 40 years, completely forgot her dietary preference and enthusiastically ordered a steak, illustrating Leith's belief that even the challenges of aging can bring unexpected moments of delight.

"I'm very lucky. I mean, not many people have one happy marriage, never mind two. And I had a really my first marriage was really happy... I didn't like widowhood."

▶ Watch this segment — 13:22

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