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Michael Portillo photographed leaving flat of young female researcher

May 6, 2014 by  
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  • Michael Portillo photographed leaving flat of researcher on his BBC show
  • Erica Gornall, 26, is 34 years younger than the married ex-Tory minister
  • The pair were seen twice in affluent Primrose Hill, London, this week
  • Both Ms Gornall and Mr Portillo say they are just colleagues and friends

By
Tania Steere
and Sam Marsden


Published:

13:20 EST, 4 May 2014


|
Updated:

08:46 EST, 5 May 2014

Michael Portillo steps out in the spring sunshine with a female researcher from one of his TV shows who is 34 years his junior.

The married former Tory Cabinet Minister was photographed leaving Erica Gornall’s flat in affluent Primrose Hill in north-west London.

Looking relaxed, the pair walked away side by side with their hands in their pockets, mirroring each other’s body language.

Stepping out: Married BBC presenter Michael Portillo, 60, is seen leaving the London flat of Great British Railway Journeys researcher Erica Gornall, aged 26

Stepping out: Married BBC presenter Michael Portillo, 60, is seen leaving the London flat of Great British Railway Journeys researcher Erica Gornall, aged 26

Mr Portillo, 60, and Miss Gornall, 26,
who insist they are just good friends, got to know each other when she
worked on his popular BBC2 series Great British Railway Journeys in
2011.

The ex-Conservative MP
was dressed casually in dark blue trousers with an open-necked bright
blue shirt and a grey tweed jacket when he met Miss Gornall at her home
in the heart of the fashionable London district, which has been home to
Kate Moss, Jude Law and the Miliband brothers.

The
accomplished young journalist, who has also worked on the BBC’s
Panorama, Watchdog and Newsnight programmes, opted for a pale outfit of
white jeans, a cream trenchcoat and a light pink pashmina.

They were seen together again two nights later walking to Primrose Hill’s acclaimed Michael Nadra restaurant for dinner.

Mr
Portillo, this time wearing a more formal combination of a white shirt
and dark tie with a black overcoat, walked Miss Gornall home and bade
her goodnight with a kiss on the cheek, the Sunday Mirror reported.

Twice in a week: Mr Portillo and Ms Gornall were seen together again two days later when they visited a local restaurant in Primrose Hill

Twice in a week: Mr Portillo and Ms Gornall were seen together again two days later when they visited a local restaurant in Primrose Hill

Michael Portillo has been married to Carolyn Eadie since 1982, but has allegedly had several affairs during their 32 years together (pictured: the couple in 2003)

Michael Portillo has been married to Carolyn Eadie since 1982, but has allegedly had several affairs during their 32 years together (pictured: the couple in 2003)

The
Cambridge-educated former defence secretary has been married to his
wife Carolyn since 1982, although in 1999 he spoke of how he had
‘homosexual experiences’ as a young man.

Over
the years there have been several reports alleging that he had affairs,
including claims that he was romantically involved with the unnamed
wife of a millionaire banker, a former lingerie model and a Hungarian
blonde.

Mr Portillo has
forged a successful career in the media since he famously lost his seat
at the 1997 general election and stood down as an MP for good in 2005.

As
well as his long-running series celebrating the romance of classic
train journeys in the UK and beyond, he has regularly appeared on BBC
politics discussion show This Week and BBC Radio 4 ethical debate
programme The Moral Maze.

He could not be reached for comment today, but he told the Sunday Mirror that he and Miss Gornall were just friends.

Miss
Gornall studied at the London School of Economics, where she wrote for
the university paper The Beaver and broadcast for its station Pulse
Radio, according to a profile on her website.

After
graduating, she ‘swapped student politics for Westminster’ by becoming a
researcher for veteran BBC political documentary-maker Michael
Cockerell.

She dismissed any suggestions that she was romantically involved with Mr Portillo yesterday (Sun).

Speaking
from her parents’ semi-detached house in a quiet cul-de-sac in Eynsham,
Oxfordshire, she said: ‘We are just friends. We have known each other
for quite a while and we are very good friends, but just friends and
that is all it is.’


Comments (88)

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The comments below have been moderated in advance.

Smujsmith,

Pig-atop-the-hill, United Kingdom,

23 hours ago

Oh dear DM, has Portillo fallen foul of Tory Central Office ? Has he said something that Lord Snooty has taken exception to, or worse, Schapps ? Looks like a bloke can’t do anything these days without someone, in this case the DM, insinuating something that might be quite innocent, and frankly, Portillo’s private life should remain exactly that.

Simon,

Chester, United Kingdom,

23 hours ago

Barking up the wrong tree here

pete the painter,

leicester,

23 hours ago

this man is not only a great orator on his railway journeys he also has implacable manners and a gentleman

sruoypU,

Mars, United Kingdom,

1 day ago

just showing her his old train tickets !!!!! what wrong with that ?

ticketyboo,

Evesham, United Kingdom,

1 day ago

Can’t he have a private life kept private.

john doe,

nowhere particularly good, United Kingdom,

1 day ago

Why are you reporting this?

mundane,

Poole, United Kingdom,

1 day ago

Hello! They work in the same programme, what’s wrong with them meeting as many times as they think it’s necessary?

Marie84,

Fife,

1 day ago

I’m married but often meet up with my male friends. Am I having an affair? No.

Holly Mead,

London, United Kingdom,

1 day ago

So what.

fizgog,

exeter, United Kingdom,

1 day ago

Great British Railway Journeys is a very good programme among so much dross. So! he has a young friend and she a ‘grand-dad figure’ to talk things over with. Why should it be anything else? Both very lucky people.

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