The TV cook, now best known for his seafood restaurants and BBC travel series, grew up on a farm in Churchill, a small village just outside the market town of Chipping Norton.

Mr Stein later went on to study English at Oxford, further strengthening his ties to Oxfordshire alongside his upbringing in the Cotswolds.

During his time as a student, he maintained a long‑term relationship with Jill Stein, who would go on to co‑found and run the business side of his restaurant empire.

READ MORE: Mary Berry talks turning 91 after finding ‘joy’ at retirement home

The Cotswolds village of Churchill, in Oxfordshire (Image: Wikimedia Commons / Philip Halling)

The couple later married, remained together for many years while building their businesses, and eventually divorced after their relationship broke down.

In a recent interview with The Times, the 76-year-old revisited a near‑fatal incident in Oxford which she says has left her with permanent hearing loss.

She had moved to London while Mr Stein was at Oxford, and had arranged to meet him in Oxford for a weekend.

Ms Stein discovered that he was instead drinking at a student club and confronted him when he eventually arrived at the pub where she was waiting.

READ MORE: ‘It broke me’- Emma Watson opens up in emotional admission

Jack Stein, Jill Stein, Charlie Stein, Rick Stein, and Edward Stein. (Image: Newsquest)

He recalled in the book that he reacted “angrily but also very lustfully”, but remembering that night, Ms Stein told The Times: “He did nearly kill me.”

Driving fast on the Oxford bypass, Mr Stein crashed into roadworks and hit a 44‑gallon drum, sending an oil lamp through the windscreen and into her head.

Ms Stein said: “He could see that I was bleeding quite a lot and I said, ‘oh, just put me to bed. I’ll be fine.’ And he thought, even though he was drunk, ‘no, I’m not sure about this’.

“‘I think I’ll ring the ambulance’. So he rang the ambulance and, because it was a 999 call, the police came along as well, and they breathalysed him.”

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson ‘parties in pub until 4.30am’ celebrating win

The crash occurred while Rick Stein was studying at Oxford University. (Image: Murray Bosley)

At the John Radcliffe Hospital, a brain surgeon operated on her, and during her interview with The Times, Ms Stein pointed to her left side and added: “And that’s why I can’t hear in this ear.”

Asked how long it took her to forgive him, she reflected: “I never blamed him really. I don’t know why, but I didn’t.”

Mr Stein later began a relationship with Sarah Burns, a publicist who had worked with his company, while he was still married to Jill Stein.

The affair eventually led to the end of his first marriage, and he went on to marry his second wife in 2011, with the couple now living between Australia and the UK.

The monarch, who has long‑standing ties to the Cotswolds through his Highgrove estate near Tetbury, has written a moving reflection on his late mother’s final summer at Balmoral.

In his latest remarks, Charles sets out the deep personal importance of the Scottish residence to the whole family.

The late Queen died in September 2022, prompting an outpouring of grief and tributes from around the world.

READ MORE: Mary Berry talks turning 91 after finding ‘joy’ at retirement home

Just a day after her death and his accession to the throne, the King addressed the nation and paid tribute to his “darling mama”.

Further reflections on his mother’s final months have now been shared in the foreword to a new book, Balmoral by Mary Miers, as reported by The Telegraph.

In the text, the King explains that Queen Elizabeth “particularly treasured her time at Balmoral”.

He goes on to note the poignant detail that “It was here, in these most beloved of surroundings, that she chose to spend her final days.”

Balmoral Castle had long been regarded as the late Queen’s favourite residence, where she traditionally spent summers with her family away from public duties.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson ‘parties in pub until 4.30am’ celebrating win

The King underlines the strength of the family’s attachment to the estate, writing, “Since my earliest childhood, it has held, and continues to hold, a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself.”

His reflections echo those of his sister, Princess Anne, who was with Queen Elizabeth for the last 24 hours of her life – an experience she has said she felt very “fortunate” to share.

The Princess Royal accompanied her mother’s coffin from Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

She then travelled with the coffin as it was taken on to London and said in a statement at the time: “It has been an honour and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys.

“Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting.”

According to experts, this level of resistance exercise can lower the risk of dying from any cause by 13% and from conditions such as heart disease and stroke by 19%.

The benefits are even more striking for neurological diseases, with a 27% lower risk observed among those who regularly engage in strength training.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, tracked 147,374 people (31,540 men and 115,834 women) for up to 30 years.

The simple exercise that will help you live longer

Participants reported their strength training and aerobic activity every two years.

Strength training included exercises using weights or body weight, such as dumbbell work, squats and lunges.

Aerobic exercise included brisk walking, running, jogging, swimming, cycling, tennis and squash.

The best outcomes were seen in individuals who combined high levels of both aerobic and strength training, with risk reductions of up to 58% among the most active.

Adults are advised to do muscle-strengthening activities that target all major muscle groups – legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms – on at least two days each week.

Tom Burton, strategic lead for health and wellbeing policy at Sport England, said: “Strength-based physical activity is a powerful tool, particularly in support of healthy ageing – helping prevent or delay poor health, keeping us mobile and independent and easing pressures on overstretched health and care services.

“Sport England research has found that active lifestyles prevent 3.3 million cases of chronic illness a year, as well as saving £8 billion a year for healthcare services.

“Our mission is to make physical activity accessible to all – it’s the key to healthier, wealthier and happier communities.”

The NHS also recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.

Recommended Reading

Moderate activities include very brisk walking (at 4mph or faster), cycling at 10mph-12mph, or badminton.

Vigorous options include jogging (at 6mph or faster), fast cycling, basketball, tennis, or hiking.

Researchers said the results reinforce the importance of including strength training alongside aerobic exercise for overall health and longevity.

They noted that while up to two hours of weekly strength training is beneficial, exceeding this amount does not appear to offer additional gains in reducing early mortality risk.

What weekly exercises do you do? Let us know in the comments.