The actress has been married to Howard Cunnell since 2001

Adjoa Andoh has returned to the Ton as Lady Agatha Danbury in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. But did you know that the actress' own love story could rival the period drama? It was in 1995 that Adjoa first crossed paths with her future husband and writer, Howard Cunnell – and their real-life romance is like something out of Julia Quinn's novels. Keep reading for all the details…

During a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Adjoa and Howard both opened up about their first meeting. "I had a theatre company called Wild Iris. We had a tiny little office at the centre. One of our directors came in one day to say someone was taking over the bookstore downstairs, and that he was tasty,' the Bridgerton star recalled. 'We went in and there was Howard. He was this very smiley man behind the till in a patch of sunshine."

What Adjoa didn't realise, however, was that Howard had already spotted her while moving into the shop below. "There was a lovely staircase that went up to the offices. I'd seen Adjoa come down those stairs and I lost my head," he gushed. 

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Initially, the pair had formed a sweet friendship, with Howard spending time with both Adjoa and her daughter in the bookstore, but it was after Howard came to watch Adjoa perform in the play, 'Death Catches the Hunter,' that he realised he wanted something more. 

In a heartwarming moment, after a positive review of the show was released in , he decided to cut it out and kept it in his wallet. At the end of 1995, just before Christmas, he also visited Adjoa at her home and suggested they start dating. Sharing a number of common interests, the couple quickly bonded over their shared love of the arts and football. 

A year later, Adjoa and Howard had their first child together, and by 1997, they had welcomed a second. Their wedding took place at St Saviours Church in Herne Hill in 2001, and this year they're set to celebrate 22 years of marriage. Currently, Adjoa and Howard are based in Brixton, south London, but they told The Guardian that being with each other is what truly feels like home – talk about couple goals. 

Adjoa has also opened up about the "modernist" home that she shares with Howard in London. Describing her approach to interiors, she told Good Housekeeping: "It's got lots of wood, pictures, and wall-to-wall books. It's gallery-red all over, open plan and modernist. I grew up in a rural Cotswolds village, so there are definitely some Cotswolds vibes to my home, too."

Asked about her go-to pick-me-up, the 60-year-old replied: "I have a new special thing that lifts my spirits, which is a video of my six-month-old grandson laughing. It goes on for about three minutes where he's just giggling relentlessly and it's such a joyful thing." 

Meet the cast of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

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