Steph McGovern is returning to the BBC with a new show, The Big Deal, which premieres on BBC Two on August 13 at 9pm. The 44-year-old presenter, known for her time on BBC Breakfast and Channel 4's Steph's Packed Lunch, will host a competition where seven pairs of aspiring art dealers face challenges to win £50,000 worth of British Art.
Who is Steph McGovern's Partner?
McGovern has kept her relationship private, but it is known she has a girlfriend and they have been together for several years, living in North Tyneside. She often posts about family days out but keeps her partner out of view to protect their privacy.
Speaking to The Express in 2022, McGovern explained, 'I would just get too mad if I started reading negative things about them. My daughter has no choice and my partner's not in the public eye, so I wouldn't want to subject them to the opinions of others.'
She also shared relationship advice with Yours Magazine, saying, 'What I've learned about relationships is you have to put in the effort. It's about listening. For example, if I'm ill, I like to be left alone to get on with it – no fuss. Whereas my partner likes to be taken care of.'
McGovern revealed a 'brilliant rule' they follow: 'If we're miffed about something, we have 24 hours in which to voice it. It means we have some cracking rows, but we solve things fairly quickly. It might be over something small like the dishwasher, but that's the reason why you've got 24 hours to make your point… so it doesn't grow into a massive collection of things one of us has done.'
How Many Children Do They Have?
McGovern and her partner have one child, a daughter, born in November 2019. She announced the birth on Twitter on November 8, 2019, saying, 'Well hello world, just surfaced to let you know that we now have a daughter! Born on Monday morning just as @BBCBreakfast was wrapping up. We're all fine and dandy. Just getting used to the eau de sick/poo I am now regularly wearing. #babylife.'
Like her partner, McGovern keeps their daughter out of the spotlight.
What Has She Said About The Big Deal?
McGovern described the show as 'The Apprentice for the art world, but the deals are all real, and it's as much about the hustle as it is about the art.' She connects with the show personally: 'My dad's an artist so I grew up in a home full of curiosities. The kids in our neighbourhood found it weird coming to our house with the life-like sculptures in the garden and his curious paintings inside.'
She added, 'As a business journalist who loves art, I jumped at the chance to host a show looking at how to deal art. My dad was the first person I called when I got this job.' McGovern hopes the show will make art more accessible: 'Art is for everyone. We all like nice things on our walls and that could be anything from a cheap poster to something you've spent loads of money on, or one your kids' pictures. No one should be excluded from being part of the art world, whether as a creator, a collector or someone wanting to cash in.'
The Big Deal starts on BBC Two at 9pm from August 13 and will be available on BBC iPlayer.
