Great Pottery Throw Down star Keith Brymer Jones, 61, is engaged!
Great Pottery Throw Down judge Keith Brymer Jones is engaged.
The ceramic designer, 61, proposed to his actress girlfriend of 16 years, Marj Hogarth, 58, on stage at the New Theatre in Cardiff during their show, Us, Pots and a Welsh Chapel.
Keith announced the happy news on Instagram and revealed he popped the question in front of the audience.
The photos showed the happy couple posing backstage and Marj showing off her huge amber ring which was set in diamonds.
Keith wrote: 'Well folks, it was a pretty special night tonight @newtheatrecdf as I proposed to @marjhookhatchet Marj and fortunately she said yes! I don't think the wonderful audience could believe what was going on.
'Thank you to @kontour_productions and @faneproductions and Love Productions for allowing me to plan and pop the question on stage.
Great Pottery Throw Down judge Keith Brymer Jones is engaged. The ceramic designer, 61, proposed to his actress girlfriend of 16 years, Marj Hogarth, 58, on stage at the New Theatre
'The stage was significant because it's where Marj feels the most comfortable, being on stage. #Cardiff.'
One audience member commented: 'It was incredible to watch it unfold in person in the audience, especially after hearing your own personal stories in life, huge congratulations to both of you.'
While other fans wrote: 'Brilliant news. Congratulations both';
'Wonderful news - congratulations to you both! You are the most perfectly suited couple.'
This will be Keith's second marriage. He was previously married and welcomed a son, Ned. He has kept the identity of his ex-wife private.
Keith and Marj previously lived in Kent and currently live in North Wales, where their home restoration is featured on the Channel 4 show Our Welsh Chapel Dream.
Keith grew up in a north London suburb and he had a tough time at school due to being bullied and having undiagnosed dyslexia.
But it all changed the day he was given some clay during an art lesson.
He wrote in his book, A Boy In A China Shop: 'Just looking at this lump of clay washed away all the anxiety I usually felt when asked to do anything in class. It felt amazing, like I was holding my own imagination there in my hands.'
The photos showed the happy couple posing backstage and Marj showing off her huge amber ring which was set in diamonds
'The stage was significant because it's where Marj feels the most comfortable, being on stage. #Cardiff,' Keith told fans
Keith announced the happy news on Instagram, writing: 'Well folks, it was a pretty special night tonight @newtheatrecdf as I proposed to @marjhookhatchet Marj and fortunately she said yes'
Keith announced the happy news on Instagram and revealed he popped the question in front of the audience
One audience member commented: 'It was incredible to watch it unfold in person in the audience, especially after hearing your own personal stories in life'
Keith is best known as a judge on The Great Pottery Throw Down
His teacher let him work on his pottery at lunchtime and the art room became his safe haven, even after the school bully sneaked in and put razor blades in the clay. 'The clay went pink, and so did my hands . . . the room was kept locked after that incident and I was given a key.'
After leaving school, Keith went to work at a pottery outside London, spending most of his day hauling clay around. 'I was as green as the first leaf on a sapling tree but what I did have was almost boundless energy and enthusiasm for learning the craft.'
In his spare time, he was in a punk group called The Wigs and when the band fizzled out, he built his own pottery business.
He made homeware for stores such as Heals and Habitat – he would even make some of the deliveries himself in case the courier smashed the load – but soon cheaper ceramics from companies like Ikea were squeezing his handmade products out of the market.
To keep himself in business he came up with his own signature range, a white porcelain 'bucket mug' with words stamped on it, like 'Gorgeous', 'The Boss' or 'Love'. When he first took the mugs to a trade fair he came back with £35,000-worth of orders.
'I knew I was on to something,' he said. The range is still a worldwide best-seller today.
As a publicity stunt, Keith made a spoof video of Adele's hit song, Rolling In The Deep, called Rolling Clay With Keith.
His then wife told him he had committed career suicide, but it brought him to the attention of the team making The Great Pottery Throw Down.
His frequent tears have made him a star on the show. He says he is embarrassed by his crying, but the director loved it.
'Whatever you do, don't stop crying,' she begged him. 'It's TV gold.'
The Great Pottery Throw Down is filmed in Stoke-on-Trent, a tribute to the area's history of pottery making.
Brymer Jones is justifiably proud that the programme has helped raise the profile of British pottery, showing just how much effort and artistry goes into making a piece by hand.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
