"it's great most of the time but it's exhausting"
Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty gave This Morning viewers a rare glimpse into their marriage during an appearance on the daytime show.
The couple, who married in 2009, sat down with presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary to discuss their family life after politics, alongside their new education charity, The Richmond Project.
Alison lightened the mood with a playful exchange after Akshata took the lead in describing the initiative.
Dermot noted: “I love the way you said that, it was like a discussion.”
Alison added: “We know who’s in charge!”
Akshata laughed and reflected on how their relationship had changed since Rishi stepped down as Prime Minister.
She said: “I’ve been lucky to have him home more. Certainly more sleep. The girls are thrilled to have him home most of the time. The dog is happy to go on walks.
“Rishi has this great energy and intensity and he brought that to the job in number 10, and now he brings [it] home and it’s great most of the time but it’s exhausting because we just can’t keep up with all of the various things that he wants to do and explore.
“But it’s lovely because we get to spend more time together.
“We get to be at home up in Yorkshire together more and we just have some time to think and reflect.”
Admitting that the adjustment wasn’t always smooth, Rishi Sunak added:
“I think I channelled that energy, as Akshata said, into home, which was not always a great success.
“After all, there’s only so many times you can resort out all the cupboards and get involved with the girls’ skincare routine.”
He also joked about how his attempts at bonding were not always appreciated:
“I thought, that’s great, because I can take the kids to school and they’ll be so excited.”
“We can spend quality time [together]. Very quickly, it was clear that they were not interested in having me drop them off at school.”
The lighter moments continued when the presenters invited the pair to play a game of Mr and Mrs.
The couple revealed that the former Prime Minister was the first to say “I love you”. They also confessed that their favourite takeaway is Nando’s.
First announced in March 2025, The Richmond Project is designed to make Maths feel less intimidating for children.
Watch the Full Segment
Loading ...