Inside Blackadder star Tony Robinson’s private life – age-gap marriage to rarely-seen kids

Actor and broadcaster Sir Tony Robinson is perhaps best known for his breakout role as bumbling servant Baldrick in the hit comedy sitcom, Blackadder.

Since then, the 78-year-old has gone on to become a national treasure as a beloved TV presenter and actor. He famously fronted the archaeology series Time Team and Channel 4’s The Worst Jobs in History.

Beyond this, Tony has written 16 impressive children’s books as well as four series of ’s Maid Marian and her Merry Men, in which he played the role of the Sherrif of Nottingham.

But away from the cameras, the author and actor enjoys a tranquil life in the Big Smoke with his doting wife Louise Hobbs. Here we take a look inside his quiet life away from the limelight.

Tony grew up in the heart of South Woodford, London, with his mum, Phyllis and dad, Leslie. As an only child, he became the “centre of his mum and dad’s lives” and seemingly “[fulfilled] their performing desires by becoming a child actor.”

He kicked off his career at the age of 13 when he starred in a series of West End plays and musicals, before he made the transition to the small screen on TV shows including Sam on Boffs’ Island and Play Away.

But it’s fair to say the TV presenter became a household name when he made his debut as Baldrick in sitcom Blackadder. He appeared in all four series and quickly became associated with the catchphrase “I have a cunning plan!”

In the late 1970s, Tony tied the knot to Mary Shepherd with whom he shares two children, a daughter called Laura and a son called Luke. However, the pair separated in 1992 after nearly two decades of marriage.

While Tony tends to keep his children out of the limelight, he’s occasionally given fans an insight into his family life over the years. Speaking to The Guardian in 2016, he said: “The mother of my children and I were very much of the same view. We were together for 17 or 18 years.

“Having children was important though. I was a liberal parent when my children were young. Back then, my daughter used to call me Tony; now she calls me Dad.”

When he was asked by The Guardian what he considers his proudest achievement, the Blackadder star gushed: “That my children, Luke and Laura, have turned out happy and smart, and are living fulfilled lives.”

In 2011, the presenter walked down the aisle with his second wife Louise Hobbs when they exchanged vows on Italy’s Amalfi coast after six years of dating.

Tony defended their 35-year age gap relationship during an appearance on Loose Women. He told the panel: “We’ve been married a long time. It is not an issue for us.”

The pair live in West London with their beloved Westie called Holly Berry who they rescued just before lockdown. In 2021, he spoke to the Independent about rediscovering his passion for gardening – a skill he’d picked up as a young boy.

He confessed: “I hadn’t gardened anywhere for decades because I tended to be a flat dweller, but now we’ve got a nice terrace and parapet.”