Carol Vorderman, 65, says she has no desire to settle down

Carol Vorderman has said she has no desire to settle down after admitting she has five ‘special friends’ who she has relationships with.

The former Countdown presenter, 65, has been single since she split from journalist Des Kelly in 2007, after being married twice.

But she has no plans any time soon to be finding one man and settling down, she revealed on Saturday.

Speaking to The Mirror, Carol said: ‘I have no desire to settle down right now. Maybe when I’m 82 — with a 45-year-old!’

Carol went on to call out society’s expectations of women as she added: ‘There’s this idea that women need a man to travel, to live, to enjoy themselves – you really, really don’t. 

‘That’s not anti-men — it’s pro-women, there’s a whole world out there and women are reaching for it.’

Last year Carol admitted she has five ‘special friends’ who she has relationships with – although she has previously said she ‘doesn’t do one night stands.’

Carol previously revealed she’s ‘not into one night stands’ but dates multiple men whom she affectionately names her ‘special friends’. 

Speaking to You magazine back in 2023, the star said that it was all working very well because she doesn’t want to be in love and isn’t a jealous person. 

Carol said her lovers are all single – and she said she wouldn’t mind if any of her lovers fell for someone else and moved on. 

‘Oh yeah, yeah, my ‘special friends’,’ she said. ‘I’m continuing with that system and it’s working very well.’

There are five of them. She said: ‘One’s been a friend for 11 years, one for seven. My kids [Katie, 31, and Cameron, 25], know most of them.’

Carol admitted she relishes the independence and the freedom the setup gives her and says there is no problem with her partners wanting more intimacy than it offers, ‘as long as you’re all honest and have a good time’.

All involved are single – she works on the principle that you should ‘do no harm’ – and if one met somebody else, it’d be fine.

She continued: ‘I’m not a jealous person and I’m happy when my friends are happy, whether they are “special friends” or not.

‘The goal of my life is to be happy, not to be in love. I just find people interesting and life interesting. 

‘And you can get to a stage where you choose which bits you enjoy. You can’t in your 30s because you’re making your way in your career, you’re beholden to bosses and all those sorts of things. But in your 60s…’

After making the comments she posed for a selfie with her best friend of 35 years Craig Burton as she gushed over their incredible holiday in France. 

She penned: ‘BACK FROM FAMILY HOLS IN FRANCE (12 of us) at my friend’s house @tafiartfrance (you can book whole house too or just one room for B&B for a few nights, it’s a real heaven)’.

Detailing her strong bond with Craig, she explained: ‘I’ve known Craigy B for over 35 years. We met through friends at Yorkshire TV in Leeds where Richard Whiteley and I made Countdown. 

‘Craigy B and I have laughed ever since. He’s proper Yorkshire and PROPER funny and we’ve got so many friends in common. Love him…. Well let’s face it… everyone who meets him loves him.’

She added: ‘Ps wearing no make up for 10 days is heaven itself not that I’m a lazy b***er or anything!!!’

Craig also reposted the snap as he penned: ‘Proper friends are still in our lives come rain or shine thanks for our time at @tafiartfrance oh to measure friendship in “laughs” xx @carolvorders’.

Carol was first married to Christopher Mather from 1985 to 1986 and then to second husband Patrick King from 1990 until 2000 – the father of her two children.