Joan Collins, 91, supported by besotted husband Percy in romantic moment
Joan Collins is getting into the festive spirit! Joined by her husband, Percy Gibson on Thursday, the actress headed to Bishopsgate Plaza, where she was given the honour of lighting London’s tallest Christmas tree.
As she took to the stage, Joan, 91, was accompanied by Percy, 59, who appeared besotted with his wife. In a blink-and-you’d-miss-it moment, the A-lister turned and caught a glimpse of the brightly lit tree behind her, before Percy took her hand in his, lovingly trailing his fingers along hers as they listened to carol singers.
Joan and Percy, who married in 2002, have been each other’s biggest cheerleaders for years, with the Dynasty star praising their “wonderful marriage”. Percy, one of the most important people in her life, recently appeared in Joan’s one-woman show, which was held at the Adelphi Theatre London in October.
Following the performance, Joan changed into a bridal white gown to celebrate with her beloved husband at an exclusive after-party. Many of their close friends and family members were on hand to mark the occasion too, with Elizabeth Hurley, Louise Faulkner and Louise Fennell joining them.
Undeniably in love, Joan and Percy’s romance began when she starred in the play Love Letters (2000), which Percy was producing. The duo tied the knot two years later, choosing the drawing room of Claridge’s Hotel in London as their venue. Dame Shirley Bassey, Roger Moore and Rupert Everett rounded out the guest list.
Joan has gushed to HELLO! about her man in previous interviews, calling her fifth marriage “my happiest and last” in 2015.
“Percy is wonderful; he’s my soul mate. That doesn’t mean we don’t bicker, but we are very understanding of each other,” she said.
Percy is 32 years Joan’s junior, but for the couple, age is just a number. “I believe in marriage — which is why I’ve done it five times — and I finally have a wonderful marriage,” she told Louis Theroux in a BBC documentary. “Percy is 30-odd years younger than me, but I don’t even feel my age. I don’t even talk about it; I don’t even think about it.”
As it turns out, Joan wasn’t looking to remarry when she crossed paths with her future husband. “We hit it off immediately. He was funny, engaging, good-looking, and after the show, I would socialise with him, my co-star George Hamilton and my daughter Katy,” she recalled in the Mail.
In her 2011 memoir, The World According to Joan, she noted: “I kissed a lot of frogs before I found my prince. For those women who are looking for a life partner, that old saying that men are like buses and ‘if you wait long enough the right one will come along’ is true for a reason.”