Noel Fielding sparked concern this week after it emerged that he dropped out of filming his comedy series, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, over health issues.
The comedian, 51, pulled out of filming the second series of the Apple TV Plus show over Christmas due to a mystery “health matter.”
The Mighty Boosh star has now reportedly been facing uncertainty over his future as a host on Great British Bake Off, which he joined in 2017.
However, Fielding shut down rumours that he might step down from the Channel 4 baking competition, with his spokesperson confirming he will return as host next series.
While the actor’s career highs and lows have been heavily publicised, very little is known about his private life.
From his long-term relationship with a radio DJ to his two children, we take a look inside Fielding’s low-key family life.
Noel’s long-term partner
In 2010, The IT Crowd star began dating radio host Lliana Bird, who previously presented a weekly show with Radio X.
They reportedly met when she appeared in several episodes of The Mighty Boosh in 2010.
Bird later had a brief cameo in Noel’s series Luxury Comedy in 2014, playing “lady in car.”
The 42-year-old is also an author, who wrote the non-fiction science book, The Mice Who Sign For Sex, in 2016 and the children’s book, Baboo The Unusual Bee, last year.
She owns a production company called Bird & Be and co-founded the charities Choose Love and The Kindly Collective, which supports charitable projects for women, children, and animals.
The presenter has made TV appearances on Sky News, BBC News and as a guest on Springwatch.
Noel’s two children
Fielding and Bird, who are not believed to be married, live in north London together.
They welcomed their first daughter, Dali - named after Fielding’s favourite artist Salvador Dali - in April 2018.
Bird gave birth to their second daughter, Iggy, in August 2020.
The couple keep their children off social media, although Bird sometimes posts Dali’s artwork on Instagram.
Soon after Dali was born, Fielding opened up about fatherhood during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show.
"She is very beautiful and she blows my mind about a hundred times a day," he said.
“It's a new level of tiredness that I've never experienced. I've done a lot of all-nighters in my life. In a way I've been in training for this moment all my life."
Shortly before Iggy came into the world, Bird paid tribute to Fielding’s parenting abilities.
Sharing a photo of them together on Instagram in June 2020, she wrote: “Just gotta give the biggest dad’s day shout out to this one too because my lord, you are the most incredible ‘dada’ to our little pup.
“Watching you two be the very very best of friends and just have the most fun and dance every day and generally be in love has been the greatest joy of my life.”
Home life
Bird recently talked about how the couple tries to turn everyday activities with their children into moments of “fun.”
“He kind of makes the silliest little moments, he makes having breakfast a real moment,’ she said on the Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast with Giovanna Fletcher last year.
“I think I’ve just really leaned into that and just going like, ‘This is amazing. We’re getting to have porridge and it’s funny, and it’s fun. And we’re wearing silly hats, and we’re dancing. And that’s okay.’
“Maybe someone else’s kids are going to have a few more spoonfuls of porridge because it’s going to be quicker, they’re eating it properly, and digesting it properly.”
Bird added: “But, you know, my kids are having a lot of fun.”
Work/life balance
Fielding previously revealed his hosting gig on Bake Off perfectly matched the new phase of his life as a father.
The comic welcomed Dali just months after he was unveiled as a host on the beloved baking show.
"When I got this job, I'd just had my first child, I was painting a lot and had a different lifestyle," he told The Guardian.
"This show fitted that phase. You want to match your career to where you are in life. It's mainstream, family-friendly and my kids love it, so it suits me. I love not partying – and I never thought I'd say that."
