Carol Vorderman, 65, jokes 'times are hard' and reveals she's down to 'three special friends' as she opens up on her 'long term' casual relationships

Carol Vorderman has joked that 'times are hard' after revealing that she is now down to only 'three special friends' as she opened up about her casual relationships.

The Countdown star, 65, has always been open about her romantic companions, who she dates at the same time because she could not think of 'anything worse than being with a full-time partner'.

She or the men were always free to end the relationship, but although Carol has now parted ways with two she has not found any new ones and is now making do with the three.

She told cheekily Alan Carr on his Life's A Beach podcast this week: 'It's down to three. Times are hard.'

But she said despite her preference of casual relationships, she does not believe in short-term holiday romances.

She added: 'Here's the thing, there's a big difference between going on holiday and having a you know what and coming back. And I don't do that.'

She said of her current arrangements: 'It's very different. They're three like quite long term.'

Just last month Carol said she has no desire to settle down.

The broadcaster has been single since she split from journalist Des Kelly in 2007, after being married twice.

But she has no plans any time soon to be finding one man and settling down.

Speaking to The Mirror in January, Carol said: 'I have no desire to settle down right now. Maybe when I'm 82 - with a 45-year-old!'

Carol went on to call out society's expectations of women as she added: 'There's this idea that women need a man to travel, to live, to enjoy themselves - you really, really don't. 

'That's not anti-men - it's pro-women, there's a whole world out there and women are reaching for it.'

Last year Carol admitted she then had five 'special friends' who she has relationships with - although she has previously said she 'doesn't do one night stands.'

Carol previously revealed she's 'not into one night stands' but dates multiple men whom she affectionately names her 'special friends'. 

Speaking to You magazine back in 2023, the star said that it was all working very well because she doesn't want to be in love and isn't a jealous person. 

Carol said her lovers are all single - and she said she wouldn't mind if any of her lovers fell for someone else and moved on. 

'Oh yeah, yeah, my 'special friends',' she said. 'I'm continuing with that system and it's working very well.'

There are five of them. She said: 'One's been a friend for 11 years, one for seven. My kids [Katie, 31, and Cameron, 25], know most of them.'

Carol admitted she relishes the independence and the freedom the setup gives her and says there is no problem with her partners wanting more intimacy than it offers, 'as long as you're all honest and have a good time'.

All involved are single – she works on the principle that you should 'do no harm' – and if one met somebody else, it'd be fine.

She continued: 'I'm not a jealous person and I'm happy when my friends are happy, whether they are 'special friends' or not.

'The goal of my life is to be happy, not to be in love. I just find people interesting and life interesting. 

'And you can get to a stage where you choose which bits you enjoy. You can't in your 30s because you're making your way in your career, you're beholden to bosses and all those sorts of things. But in your 60s…'

Carol was first married to Christopher Mather from 1985 to 1986 and then to second husband Patrick King from 1990 until 2000 - the father of her two children.