Rick Stein’s ex-wife reveals truth about accident after chef ‘nearly killed her’

The former wife of celebrity chef Rick Stein has revealed she was left with a lasting health condition following an accident in their youth in which he "did nearly kill" her. Jill Stein, who was married to Rick for 32 years before their divorce in 2007, spoke openly about the crash that occurred while the pair were still young and establishing themselves. Despite their marriage ending, the former couple remain business partners and continue to maintain a professional relationship through the restaurant empire they built together. Jill, who co-founded The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow with Rick, told The Times about their early years in Cornwall and their roles in turning a modest venture into one of Britain's most recognisable hospitality businesses. "They didn't really know what Rick looked like because he was always in the kitchen," she explained to 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 couple first encountered each other in Cornwall in 1968 after Jill, who disliked school and left at 15, relocated there to work at a guesthouse. Rick, whose family holidayed in the region, met her after searching for guests for a gathering, reports the Mirror. "He was looking for people to invite to a party and we just happened to be in the pub," she recalls. Their relationship faced initial complications, but they reconciled and built a life together while Rick pursued his English degree at Oxford. It was during this time that a late-night drive ended in catastrophe. Jill explained that the collision occurred after Rick collected her in Oxford following a row when she'd been expecting him but discovered he'd been drinking at a student club instead. Travelling along the bypass, he ploughed into roadworks and an oil lamp shattered through the windscreen. "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, although she says she was left with permanent injuries. "And that's why I can't hear in this ear," she explains, gesturing to her left side. When asked how long it took to forgive him, Jill says she never really felt bitter. "I never blamed him really. I don't know why, but I didn't." The incident occurred during a chaotic period for Rick, who later described descending into depression linked to the crash, alongside stress surrounding university finals, bereavement following his father's suicide when he was 17, and an increasing dread of mortality. The couple went on to marry and raise three sons while building a hospitality empire synonymous with Cornwall. While their marriage ended after more than 30 years, following Rick's long relationship with Australian publicist Sarah Burns, Jill has remained closely connected to the business they built together and continues to be recognised on projects, including their most recent cookbook.