It feels like we’ve known each other forever - Finding love again after loss, Maureen Lipman and David Turner share their story
Love found them late, and they are holding on to it with care.
Maureen Lipman, 79, and her husband David Turner, 80, have shared what it means to start again in their later years, six months after quietly getting married.
The couple exchanged vows in September at a small ceremony held at his son’s home in London.
Their story began in 2023. A year later, Lipman asked Turner to marry her. It came two decades after she lost her first husband, and three years after Turner lost his wife.
Looking back, Lipman said the connection felt immediate and familiar. “It somehow felt like we’d known each other for the whole of our lives,” she explained.
Moving into his home did not feel like a new chapter, it felt like returning to one.
She described a strong pull to be around him all the time, saying she quickly realised she wanted his presence every day.
She did not hide her joy. “I wish anyone who’s on their own at my age could find this level of happiness,” she said, speaking openly about how unexpected, and deeply fulfilling, the relationship has been.
For Turner, the journey to this point carried grief. When they first met, he was still coming to terms with the loss of his wife, Frances, after 50 years of marriage.
She had lived with Alzheimer’s, and he cared for her through her final years.
He recalled the emotional weight of watching her condition decline, describing it as a painful, helpless experience.
Over time, his bond with Lipman shifted something in him.
He said the turning point came with a simple thought, that if anything happened to her, he would want to be there to care for her.
That sense of responsibility, and affection, guided his decision to remarry.
He also spoke about time, and how differently it feels now.
“When you’re young, time stretches. In your seventies, it moves faster,” he said. Whether they have a few years or many, he believes what matters is making those years count.
Still, their new life together is about to face its first real test. Lipman is preparing for a UK tour of her show, Allegra, which will run from May to July. It will be the longest they have spent apart since getting together.
She admitted the separation will not be easy.
The relationship has shifted her priorities, and she is mindful of protecting what they have built.
“I don’t want to mess it up,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “What we have is rare and precious.”
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