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Richard Fairs is a chartered building surveyor from Bristol and founder of The Building Consultancy Ltd. He gained public attention after marrying British comedian Miranda Hart in July 2024. The couple met during the 2020 lockdown when Fairs was hired to fix a mould problem at Hart’s West London home.
When Miranda Hart announced her surprise marriage in October 2024, fans immediately wondered: who’s the man who captured Britain’s favorite comedian’s heart? The answer turned out to be Richard Fairs, a 60-year-old building surveyor from Bristol whose professional expertise in removing mould unexpectedly led to romance.
This isn’t your typical celebrity love story. There were no red carpet meetings or Hollywood introductions. Instead, it’s a tale that began with structural problems, pandemic isolation, and a professional consultation that transformed into something deeper.
In this article, you’ll discover who Richard Fairs really is beyond the headlines, his impressive career in building conservation, and the unexpected journey that brought him and Miranda Hart together.
Richard Fairs isn’t new to his field. With over 35 years of experience in building surveying, he’s built a reputation that stands entirely separate from his famous wife.
After joining a Watford surveying firm in 1982, he studied at Thames Polytechnic and qualified as a chartered building surveyor in 1989. But Fairs didn’t stop there. He earned a postgraduate diploma in Building Conservation from the College of Estate Management, equipping himself with specialized skills for preserving historic structures.
His credentials tell the story of dedication. He’s a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) and holds membership with the Building Engineers. These aren’t just letters after his name—they represent rigorous professional standards and ethical commitments that define his approach to work.
In 1997, Richard Fairs founded The Building Consultancy Ltd in Bristol, with a vision to provide top-tier, personalized consulting without the bureaucracy of larger firms. The company quickly became known for its straightforward and trustworthy approach.
What sets his consultancy apart? It’s the focus on heritage and conservation work. The firm specializes in building condition surveys, dilapidation reports, leasehold advice, and conservation strategies. His work focuses on maintaining the balance between historic preservation and modern usability, ensuring old buildings remain functional and safe for contemporary use.
Think of it this way: when you own a historic property or listed building, you can’t just call any contractor. You need someone who understands both the architectural integrity of the past and the practical demands of the present. That’s where Fairs’ expertise shines.
The story of how Richard Fairs and Miranda Hart met reads like something from one of Hart’s own comedy scripts—except it’s completely real.
Miranda was living alone in West London when she employed Richard Fairs, 60, to help treat the mould in her house. The timing couldn’t have been more challenging. It was 2020, during pandemic lockdowns, and Hart was struggling with chronic illness that would later be diagnosed as Lyme disease.
Hart explained that Richard was the project manager coming to sort out the building works and remove the mould, and they met on the final day of the works being done. What happened next surprised them both. Miranda recalled: “I think I could say we fell in love there and then”.
Hart affectionately nicknamed him “The Mould Man” and “The Boy from Bristol” in her memoir. Their first date involved chatting for hours in her living room while waiting for pizzas to be delivered, during which Miranda’s pizza had “shunted its way across the box and turned into a calzone”. She went on about her mishap, but Fairs wasn’t fazed—a sign of the easy connection they’d found.
Richard Fairs proposed at Kew Gardens in London, and they married in July in Hampshire where Hart grew up. More specifically, Hart married Richard William Fairs on 6 July 2024 in Hambledon, Hampshire.
The wedding itself reflected their desire for privacy. Their marriage ceremony was described as a restrained, Hawaiian-themed celebration attended by close friends and relatives, with inflatable flamingos, coconut bowling, and a steel band. It was quirky, personal, and perfectly fitting for Hart’s personality.
Hart kept the marriage secret until her memoir release in October 2024. When she finally revealed the news on The One Show, she said: “He’s my best friend, we have the best fun and I’m just thrilled to be a young bride at 51”.
Richard Fairs’ life didn’t begin with Miranda Hart. He brings a wealth of life experience to their relationship.
Before his marriage to Miranda Hart, Richard Fairs was previously married to Jeanne Speight, with whom he shares two children. The couple parted ways in 2017 after being together for more than 25 years. Hart has now become a stepmother to her new husband’s two children from his ex.
What does this tell us? Fairs understands commitment and family. His amicable separation and continued role as a father show maturity and emotional intelligence—qualities that likely contributed to the solid foundation he’s built with Hart.
At 60 years old, Fairs also brings perspective. He’s lived a full life, built a successful business, raised children, and weathered personal changes. This grounding probably helps provide the stability Hart mentioned when describing their relationship.
Here’s what makes Richard Fairs’ story compelling: he represents the everyday professionals whose expertise shapes our world, even if they never seek recognition.
Over four decades, he has trained junior surveyors, overseen hundreds of condition assessments, and helped safeguard heritage buildings across the South of England. His contribution isn’t measured in Instagram followers or tabloid headlines—it’s measured in preserved architecture and satisfied clients.
His approach to sudden fame demonstrates character. Despite the public nature of Hart’s career, Fairs has managed to keep a low profile for most of his life, choosing to focus on his work rather than on personal fame. Even after marriage thrust him into public view, he’s remained committed to his consultancy work.
Hart and Fairs’ relationship carries special significance for many people. Although famous and successful, as a 6ft1 single woman in her fifties, statistics were not on Miranda’s side when it comes to the likelihood of finding love.
Their story offers hope: love can happen at any age, in unexpected circumstances, and often when you’re not actively searching for it. Hart admitted: “I really really wanted to meet someone. I didn’t want to do life on my own any more, and I kind of admitted that to myself”. Sometimes acknowledging what you want is the first step toward finding it.
As of 2025, Richard continues to dedicate himself fully to The Building Consultancy Ltd. Retirement is not on his agenda. He remains active as the managing director, focusing on what he’s always done best: delivering expert surveying advice with integrity.
His daily work involves:
The Building Consultancy operates primarily in southern England, serving clients who need specialized expertise in heritage conservation. For Fairs, marriage to a celebrity hasn’t changed his professional commitments—he continues showing up for clients who depend on his technical knowledge.
Richard Fairs’ story challenges our culture’s obsession with fame. In an age where many people chase viral moments and social media attention, Fairs built a meaningful career through steady expertise and ethical practice.
Richard Fairs represents a rare type of professional — one who has achieved meaningful success without compromise. His journey from Watford trainee to Bristol business owner wasn’t flashy, but it was built on skill, integrity, and perseverance.
What can we learn from this? That the most fulfilling lives often happen away from cameras. That professional excellence doesn’t require public recognition. That finding love later in life is possible when you’ve built a solid foundation as an individual.
For Hart’s fans, understanding Fairs provides context for why she seems so genuinely happy. She didn’t find a celebrity or someone seeking fame—she found a grounded professional who treats buildings and people with equal respect. Someone who wasn’t impressed by her stardom but valued her as a person.
Richard Fairs entered public consciousness as “Miranda Hart’s husband,” but his identity runs much deeper. He’s a skilled building surveyor with decades of conservation experience. He’s a father who maintained amicable relationships after divorce. He’s a business owner who built a respected consultancy in Bristol.
Most importantly, he’s someone who found unexpected love during a pandemic while simply doing his job. Hart reflected: “The fact that I met someone during a pandemic, during chronic illness when I couldn’t get out of bed or get out of the house” shows that life’s best moments often arrive when least expected.
Richard Fairs reminds us that behind every public figure is often a private individual whose own story deserves recognition. In his case, that story is one of quiet professionalism, genuine connection, and proof that sometimes fixing mould problems can lead to fixing hearts.
Richard Fairs is a chartered building surveyor from Bristol and the founder of The Building Consultancy Ltd. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in building conservation, heritage restoration, and property surveys. He qualified as a surveyor in 1989 and holds a postgraduate diploma in Building Conservation. His firm serves clients across southern England, focusing on historic buildings that require specialized preservation expertise.
They met during the 2020 pandemic lockdown when Hart hired Fairs to address a serious mould problem in her West London home. As project manager for the building works, Fairs met Hart on the final day of the job. Both have described it as love at first sight. Hart affectionately calls him “The Mould Man” in her memoir, acknowledging that their professional connection unexpectedly blossomed into romance. They dated for over two years before marrying in July 2024.
Before meeting Hart, Fairs led a full life. He was previously married to Jeanne Speight for over 25 years, and they have two children together. They separated amicably in 2017. Professionally, he founded The Building Consultancy in 1997 after building experience at several surveying firms. He earned his degree from Thames Polytechnic and additional qualifications in building conservation. Now 60, he brings decades of professional expertise and life experience to his relationship with Hart.
