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Rick Stein's ex-wife claims chef 'nearly killed her' as she's left with horror injuries

Jill Stein, who was married to celebrity chef Rick Stein for 32 years, has spoken about a car accident in their youth that left her with permanent hearing damage

[They split in 2007]

They split in 2007(Image: Getty Images)

The former wife of celebrity chef Rick Stein has disclosed she was left with a lasting health condition following an accident in their younger days in which he "did nearly kill" her.

Jill Stein, who was wed to Rick for 32 years before their split in 2007, opened up about the crash that occurred while the pair were still young and establishing their life together. Despite their marriage ending, the former couple remain business associates and maintain a professional bond through the restaurant empire they built.

Jill, who co-established The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow alongside Rick, discussed their early Cornwall days with The Times and the parts they played in turning a modest enterprise into one of Britain's most recognised hospitality ventures.

[Rick with first wife Jill, who he was married to for 27 years and is still business partners with]

Rick with first wife Jill, who he was married to for 27 years and is still business partners with(Image: Mirror pix)

"They didn't really know what Rick looked like because he was always in the kitchen," she told The Times. "I was the front of house, so all the customers knew me and Marie, the local girl who worked for us. The two of us did it together. Once he got on TV, then of course the whole thing changed."

The pair initially encountered each other in Cornwall in 1968 after Jill, who despised school and departed at 15, relocated there to work at a guesthouse. Rick, whose family took holidays in the region, met her after seeking guests for a social event, reports the Mirror.

"He was looking for people to invite to a party and we just happened to be in the pub," she says. Their romance wasn't smooth sailing initially, but they reconciled and forged a future together while Rick pursued English at Oxford. It was during this time that a late-night trip turned catastrophic.

Jill revealed the smash occurred after Rick collected her in Oxford following a row when she had been expecting him but discovered he'd been boozing at a student club instead. Motoring along the bypass, he ploughed into roadworks and an oil lamp burst through the windscreen.

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"He did nearly kill me. 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."

Jill was rushed to hospital where emergency surgery saved her life, though she maintains permanent damage lingered. "And that's why I can't hear in this ear," she explains, gesturing to her left side.

When asked how long it took her to forgive him, Jill implied bitterness never developed. "I never blamed him really. I don't know why, but I didn't."

The crash occurred during a chaotic period for Rick, who subsequently described plunging into depression connected to the collision, anxiety surrounding university finals, grief tied to his father's suicide when he was 17 and a mounting dread of death. The couple went on to wed and bring up three sons while building a hospitality empire that became synonymous with Cornwall.

Though their marriage concluded after more than three decades, following Rick's lengthy romance with Australian publicist Sarah Burns, Jill stayed closely connected to the enterprise they created together and continues to receive recognition on projects, including their latest cookbook.

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