Journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy has enjoyed a high-profile career. During his time with the BBC, he covered major news stories, including the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997. Following his move to Channel 4 in 1998, Krishnan has continued to report on UK and foreign affairs, and in 2023, he surprised viewers by competing in Strictly Come Dancing.
While Krishnan remains busier than ever as a journalist, he's also a family man and shares two children, Jasmine and Jay, with his wife of 21 years, Lisa. Here's what we know about the TV star's life away from the spotlight…
Krishnan is married to Lisa Guru-Murthy. While his wife tends to keep a low profile, the Channel 4 journalist has shared a few details about their relationship. Explaining that they were introduced by their mutual friend, Tim Hincks, Krishnan said: "Tim worked with me on a show and introduced me to Lisa, who worked with his wife, Pippa."
Following their first meeting, the pair began dating and in February 2005, they tied the knot. Speaking about their wedding Krishnan told The Guardian that it was "a real mixture of Indian and British culture".
"I played a few rock'n'roll songs with friends," he added. "I sang and played bass, on the grounds that I was the worst guitarist of the three of us. Let's just say the crowd was on our side."
After their nuptials, Lisa and Krishnan went on to welcome their daughter, Jasmine, and son, Jay. Following in her father's footsteps, 21-year-old Jasmine has made several TV appearances in recent years, joining Krishnan on Celebrity Gogglebox and Romesh Ranganathan's Parents' Evening.
A fellow journalist, Krishnan's older sister is BBC News presenter Geeta Guru-Murthy. While the pair work for different channels, they have appeared on TV together, after shooting an episode of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, which aired in 2023. During Krishnan's stint on Strictly, Geeta, ever the supportive sister, tweeted about her brother's performances on the show and encouraged voters to keep him in the competition.
Krishnan and Geeta share another sibling, Ravi Guru-Murthy, who is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nesta.
Krishnan has spoken openly about his health problems after confirming that he's been living with Crohn's disease, as well as a genetic heart condition. Before competing in Strictly, the TV star noted that he had checked in with a medical professional before heading to the ballroom. "I've got various health issues, which I'm constantly aware of. I've got a genetic heart condition – hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – which has killed two of my cousins, Crohn's disease, various other things I won't bore you with," Krishan told The Guardian.
"I even asked my cardiologist if I might drop dead live on BBC One. No, was his answer – but he couldn't give me an absolute guarantee."
According to the NHS, Crohn's disease is a "long-term condition where part of your gut becomes inflamed," which cannot be cured. Meanwhile, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is described by the British Heart Foundation as a "disease of your heart muscle where the muscle wall of your heart becomes thickened," which can make it difficult for the heart to pump blood around the body.
Krishnan has found himself at the centre of some controversial interviews. In 2015, while interviewing Robert Downey Jr. for his new film, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Krishnan asked the A-lister about his past relationship with his father and "dark periods" in his life, prompting Robert to abruptly walk out. "It's getting a bit Diane Sawyer and you're a bit of a schmuck," the actor said while exiting the room. An extremely controversial interview, it has been viewed over 14million times on YouTube.
More recently, Krishan was suspended by Channel 4 for a week in 2022. Action was taken after the journalist was recorded making an offensive comment about Northern Ireland minister, Steve Baker. "After a robust interview with Steve Baker MP I used a very offensive word in an unguarded moment off air," Krishnan responded in a statement.
"While it was not broadcast, that word in any context is beneath the standards I set myself and I apologise unreservedly. I have reached out to Steve Baker to say sorry."
