Paul Merton is married to Suki Webster, a fellow comedian, actress, and writer. They married in 2009 and have worked together for decades as members of the improvisational comedy troupe Paul Merton’s Impro Chums .
Who Is Suki Webster?
Suki Webster is a comedian, actress, and playwright who has established a reputation as a performer in her own right. She is a founder member of Paul Merton’s Impro Chums, the improvisational troupe that has toured the world and performed at venues including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe . Beyond her work with the Chums, Webster is a regular guest of The Comedy Store Players, the legendary improvisational group that also features her husband .
Webster’s career extends well beyond improvisation. She appeared in a West End run of One Word Improv alongside Eddie Izzard . Her television credits include Giles Wemmbley Hogg on BBC 2 and The Catchment, the directorial debut of comedian Ross Noble . She has also written five documentaries for BBC television . In 2014, her play My Obsession, which explores the relationship between a performer and an obsessive fan, had a run at the Pleasance Courtyard during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe . The play was later adapted into three parts for BBC Radio 4 and aired in June 2019 .
A Marriage Rooted in Comedy
The couple’s relationship began long before they married. They first met while touring with The Comedy Store Players in India, when both were recovering from food poisoning . Paul Merton later described the moment in an interview with The Times, recalling that they were “on brandy and there was a magician in the dark” . He said the connection “felt natural” and that falling in love was not a decision he could consciously make .
Merton and Webster had worked together since the late 1990s with Impro Chums before they became a couple in 2004 . They married in 2009 . Webster has spoken candidly about maintaining her own identity despite being married to a well-known television personality. In an interview with i alongside her husband, she said, “A lot of people don’t even know we’re married, and I certainly don’t tell them” . She explained that she wants to be known as “Suki Webster, not ‘The Wife Of'” and has always tried to do her own thing to avoid any perception of riding on his coattails .
A Difficult Chapter Before Suki
Before his marriage to Suki Webster, Paul Merton experienced significant personal tragedy. His second wife, Sarah Parkinson, a writer and radio producer, was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2002 . The couple married at Rye Town Hall in East Sussex in June 2003, and Parkinson died on 23 September 2003, just three months after their wedding. She was 41 years old .
In a statement released through his agent at the time, Merton said, “After her initial devastating diagnosis of cancer in February 2002 Sarah successfully lived with the disease for the next 19 months” . He noted that she refused chemotherapy and instead “boosted her immune system with a mixture of nutritional therapy, yoga, meditation, positive thinking and laughter,” leading a full and active life until her condition worsened in her final weeks .
Merton’s first marriage was to actress Caroline Quentin, whom he married in 1990 and divorced in 1998 . Merton and Quentin had met on a train to the Edinburgh Festival, and she later starred in Men Behaving Badly .Quick Bio: Suki Webster
Notes on the data:
The age field is based on a 1999 interview where she stated she was 33. Education and height details are not widely published. Social media presence is primarily handled through official tour pages rather than personal public accounts.
Working Together on Screen and Stage
Paul Merton and Suki Webster have collaborated on numerous projects throughout their marriage. Their most prominent joint venture is Motorhoming with Merton and Webster, a travel series that aired on Channel 5 for two series, with twelve episodes broadcast between 2021 and 2023 . The show follows the couple as they embrace Britain’s motorhoming scene, seeking out famous sights and hidden gems across the UK, from Canterbury to the Brecon Beacons .
Their professional partnership extends beyond television. Webster co-wrote Paul Merton Looks at Alfred Hitchcock for BBC4 and BBC2, as well as a Morecambe and Wise tribute show for BBC1 . She also co-wrote and served as Assistant Director on Paul Merton’s Birth of Hollywood for BBC2 . In 2025, the couple announced they would be taking a new improvisational show on a UK tour, following critically acclaimed seasons in London and Edinburgh .
The Impro Chums remain a central part of their shared creative life. The troupe, which also includes Mike McShane, Lee Simpson, and Richard Vranch, creates entirely new comedy shows each night based on audience suggestions . The group’s approach to improvisation has drawn comparisons to Whose Line Is It Anyway? and the work of The Comedy Store Players, both of which share performers and stylistic DNA with the Chums .
A Partnership Built on Mutual Respect
The dynamic between Paul Merton and Suki Webster reflects a deliberate balance between their personal and professional lives. Webster’s insistence on maintaining her own comedic identity while working alongside her husband has shaped how they are perceived as a couple. Their shared history with improvisation, which requires trust, quick thinking, and mutual support, provides a natural foundation for both their marriage and their creative collaborations.
As Webster told i, when asked about their relationship, the simplicity of it came down to one observation: “When you fall in love, you fall in love” .
Who is Paul Merton’s wife?
Paul Merton’s wife is Suki Webster, a fellow comedian and performer. They married in 2009, making her his third wife .
How did Paul Merton and Suki Webster meet?
They met while touring India with The Comedy Store Players. Both were recovering from food poisoning and bonded over brandy and colas in a bar, where a magician was performing .
What TV shows have Paul Merton and Suki Webster made together?
They co-starred in Motorhoming with Merton & Webster on Channel 5. The travel series ran for two seasons and twelve episodes between 2021 and 2023, exploring Britain’s motorhoming scene .
What does Suki Webster do besides performing with Paul Merton?
She is a regular guest of The Comedy Store Players and co-wrote documentaries including Paul Merton Looks at Alfred Hitchcock and Paul Merton’s Birth of Hollywood .
Do Paul Merton and Suki Webster argue often?
According to Webster, they rarely argue because they find most things funny. She told interviewers that they make each other laugh daily, which Merton called important for mental health .
