One of my other blogs, Formula 1 Latest, deals with the world of auto racing in its most extreme form, known as Formula One. An important part of that world is the matter of running the show, one of the most complex and political games of international business. And the star of the show is the man who (amongst many other things) hands out the right to televise the races, Bernie Ecclestone.

Once a racer himself, Bernie graduated to team ownership and from there transformed himself into one of the most powerful men in Formula One. Along the way he also became a member of the richest people in the world club; his fortune is counted in billions of dollars.

It is interesting to learn that Bernie, often called “Mr Formula One”, had to pursue his future bride before winning her. In 1984, at the age of 54, Bernie met the 26 year old Croatian model, Slavica Radic, during a Formula One event. Despite being nearly a foot shorter than the 6′ 2″ Slavica, Bernie fell for her and chased her relentlessly. At the time Bernie spoke no Croatian and Slavica spoke only her native tongue and Italian, so the courtship must have been a bit difficult.

Yet, in true determined Ecclestone fashion, Bernie won his bride and they were married. They have two daughters, Tamara and Petra, and the marriage has lasted for more than twenty years. The couple can still be seen at times on the Formula One grid, with Bernie hanging on gamely to his statuesque wife’s arm. A very telling snippet of information is that much of Bernie’s fortune is in Slavica’s name and she holds an important position within the Formula One corridors of power.

Now, if that ain’t a “great romance” I don’t know what is…

Clive

We tend to think of celebrity marriages as being short and tempestuous. Certainly, there are many stresses in the lives of those in show business, long separations while one or another is on location, constant examination by the media, and often a prima dona attitude in both partners. Yet sometimes it works and the resulting marriages can become famous purely because they last.

In seeking to introduce more modern romances into this blog, I have done some research and surprised myself with the number of successful celebrity marriages there are. Here is a short list of those I found in half an hour this morning:

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward
Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick
Walter Cronkite and Betsy Maxwell
Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman
Johnny Cash and June Carter
Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft
John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell
Bob Hope and Dolores Reade
Frankie Avalon and Kay Diebel
Kirk and Anne Douglas

In time, we might get around to looking at some of these marriages for the blog. But, in the meantime, let’s enjoy the fact that there are instances of great celebrity romances.

Clive