Kaye Adams, known for her role on the popular show *Loose Women*, recently revealed a significant milestone in her long-term relationship with Ian Campbell: a civil partnership. The couple, together since the mid-1990s, quietly formalized their commitment last year, choosing a path different from traditional marriage.
For years, Adams and Campbell navigated their life together, raising two children, Charley and Bonnie, without feeling the need for a wedding. A chance encounter on holiday with another couple in a civil partnership initially solidified their reluctance – Adams observed a distinct unhappiness in the woman, who felt pressured into the arrangement for purely practical reasons.
Adams vividly recalled a conversation after that encounter, firmly stating to Campbell that if they ever did decide to make things official, it wouldn’t be motivated by financial gain. She wanted their commitment to be rooted in love, not logistics.
However, a pragmatic warning from their financial advisor dramatically shifted their perspective. They were informed that failing to formalize their relationship, either through marriage or a civil partnership, could negatively impact their children’s future. This realization prompted a change of heart.
Ultimately, they opted for a civil partnership, a decision Adams described as a practical one. The ceremony itself was remarkably intimate, attended only by her sister and her husband. It was swift and understated, a reflection of their personalities.
The celebration continued unexpectedly at a pre-booked dinner with friends. A thoughtful friend, unbeknownst to Adams and Campbell, had arranged for the restaurant to print the date of their civil partnership on all the menus, creating a spontaneous and joyful surprise.
Adams confessed to a surprising lack of longing for a traditional wedding. Unlike many women who dream of their big day, she never harbored such aspirations. She described Ian as a free spirit, a tennis coach who eschews formality and materialism.
With neither partner actively seeking marriage, the idea simply never took root. It wasn’t a conscious rejection of the institution, but rather a natural consequence of their shared values and a comfortable, enduring love that didn’t require a grand gesture to validate it.
Adams admits she still wonders why they didn’t marry, but ultimately acknowledges it simply wasn’t a priority for either of them. Their civil partnership, born from a need to protect their children, became a quiet, meaningful affirmation of their decades-long bond.
