Footballing legend Harry Redknapp is running late for a charity golf match and apologises in his old-school Cockney accent as he dashes out of the door only a few minutes into our interview. His wife, Sandra, is left holding the fort at their new eco-mansion in the leafy city of Poole.
“I like it when he goes to his golf,” says Sandra, unfazed as she closes the door softly behind him. “And he never interferes if I want to go out – I’m happy if he’s happy. At home, he’s always in one room watching racing and I’m in the other room watching my soaps. We have our own interests, which is nice.”
Harry, who joins in the conversation hands-free from his car, and Sandra have become nothing short of relationship icons since his victorious appearance on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2018. That three-week stint was the longest period they’ve ever been apart, and when they were reunited onscreen, he broke down in tears. Overnight, theirs became the nation’s favourite love story.
The couple, who married in 1967, have two sons, Mark, 52, a property developer, and Jamie, 49, a footballer-turned-pundit, and eight grandchildren. To this day, Harry, 75, and Sandra never fight – even when he drove over her foot!
In their new joint autobiography, When Harry Met Sandra, the pair relive their low-key wedding, Sandra’s devastating miscarriage and the 1990 Italian car crash in which Harry was feared dead.
Sandra, 74, also opens up for the first time about the heartbreaking loss of her beloved twin sister, Pat, the mother of former Chelsea star Frank Lampard.
Here, Harry and Sandra talk about their life together and why they’re still devoted to each other five decades in...
How meaningful is it to have your story in print?
Harry: It’s so nice. The grandchildren will be able to read about it in years to come.
You talk openly about the challenges of parenting two boys. Did you want more?
Sandra: If I could have guaranteed having a daughter, I would have had a third. We’ve got so many boys in the family as it is.
Harry: It was fantastic for me because they both loved sport, they loved football, and as kids they were respectful and polite.
You reveal you suffered a miscarriage before becoming pregnant with Mark. Why did you choose to speak about it now?
Sandra: Harry was away when I had the miscarriage. Not many people know about it. I did think to myself, “Have I opened up too much?” But if it helps someone that’s all that matters. It’s nice to know you’re not alone. Back then nobody talked about
it and I don’t think anyone knew how to handle it, especially men. I cried a lot until I fell pregnant again.
Sandra, you speak about overcoming ovarian cancer. How is your health now?
Sandra: Exercise has been part of my recovery and has given me the strength to cope. It gives you a lot of power of the mind.
Do you keep fit too, Harry?
Harry: I’ve always looked after myself. I love a glass of wine if we go out for dinner, but never more than two. I used to go out drinking with the boys back in the day, but I haven’t been in a pub for over 40 years and I’ve never drunk a beer in my life. I like golf and walking my dog.
Sandra, you admit being married to a footballer had its downsides. What were they?
Sandra: If they won at the weekend, it was marvellous. If they lost at the weekend, it was awful. I’d say it’s worse being a manager’s wife because Harry had all the supporters on his shoulders and a lot more responsibility.
Harry, you broke down when you were reunited with Sandra after I’m A Celebrity… although you say you’re not someone who shows emotion. Are you more in touch with your feelings now?
Harry: Yes, probably. I’m a softie really. I cry about bad things happening to people – people who have lost their husbands or wives. I get very emotional about it. But I’m really old school. You know, I loved my mum to absolute bits but I can’t remember ever kissing her. I still shake hands with women. I don’t kiss them on the cheek.
How hands-on are you as grandparents?
Harry: We don’t get to spend as much time with them as we’d like, as they’re in London and we’re in Poole. It’s a two-and-a-half hour journey. But we’re going to see Raphael [Jamie’s baby son] next week.
Do you think Jamie and his wife, Frida, will have another child?
Sandra: I don’t think so now. She’s already got four.
Is Raphael likely to grow up to be a footballer?
Harry: I don’t know. People say it’s in the genes. It’s amazing how Sandra and Pat – two sisters – both had sons [Jamie Redknapp and Frank Lampard] who played for England, but it’s very unusual. There are very few footballers who have sons who have actually become footballers.
You criticise the culture of flashy footballers, Harry. What is it like now?
Harry: The people I look up to are the Harry Kanes of this world – he’s a family man and gets on with it. Sometimes, younger ones get a bit flash when they start making money, but what I hate most is if I hear people aren’t having photos taken with fans. I used to make the players from West Ham sign autographs for everybody after training. To kids, older people… you can make their day.
What impact have the Lionesses had on the women’s game?
Harry: They’ve been amazing. I loved watching it, there was a feel-good factor all around the country. The standard was amazing.
Harry, you’ve had your fair share of abuse in football but said the worst incident was when someone said they “hoped your wife got cancer”. How did you deal with that?
Harry: I’d left Portsmouth and had gone to Southampton. I fell out with the directors and got loads of abuse, but one or two phone calls were way over the top. You can only feel sorry for people who say things like that. Now, I don’t go online. [My granddaughter] Molly does my Instagram. I don’t understand it!
Sandra: I only heard about that when Harry was talking about it for the book. It’s not nice for him to have to tell me. Nobody likes hearing bad things about yourself. That was one thing I worried about doing the book – people like us so will it change their views?
Sandra, Ed Sheeran once stopped you to ask for a photo...
Sandra: That was quite funny. It was at Frank and Christine’s [Lampard] wedding. He said, “I’ve just seen you on Mr And Mrs on the telly.” He keeps in touch with Frank, he played at his wedding. He’s a nice person. He’s quiet and keeps out of the limelight.
You were invited take part in the finale of the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. What did that mean to you?
Harry: I got a phone call asking if we’d like to attend and we saw the Queen when she came on the balcony. It means even more now with what’s happened. She was such a fantastic lady.
How will you be celebrating your 55th wedding anniversary next year?
Harry: We’ll probably go on holiday, just the two of us. We’re not party people.
What does a date night look like for you?
Harry: We go out for dinner two or three times a week. We might go out for a pizza or a bit of pasta. We’re not going out to posh restaurants – we love fish and chips.
You’ve never gone to bed on an argument…
Sandra: Yes. But I’ll always tell him the next day if I’m not happy with him.
Harry: We’ve never gone to bed and not spoken. It’s rare we row. I haven’t been a football manager and survived all those years without being able to take care of myself in an argument. But if I do, she’ll go, “Calm down, look at you.” And I’ll go, “Oh yeah, OK.”
Sandra, how have you found life in the spotlight?
Sandra: I found it really hard at first. I’m a lot more confident in myself now – it’s brought me out of my shell.
Harry: She never used to be able to walk into a restaurant first. She’s never wanted to be in the limelight.
Harry, what is it about Sandra that you love most of all?
Harry: Everything – absolutely everything. I really do love her to bits, I can’t tell you. If I’m out and playing golf I’ll ring her halfway round. I couldn’t be without her, I dread to think.
When Harry Met Sandra is out on Thursday (September 29), £20, published by Mirror Books
