Hugh Bonneville and Heidi Kadlecová make rare public appearance at Yard O Led event
Downton Abbey star and vegan influencer display affection at a historic-pen revival in Piccadilly, marking a high-profile moment in their new relationship.
Hugh Bonneville and Heidi Kadlecová made a rare public appearance on Thursday at the Yard O Led British Historic Pen Revival in Piccadilly Arcade, where the couple appeared very much in step with each other as they moved through the event.
Bonneville, 61, looked especially sharp in a corduroy three-piece suit and silk tie, while Kadlecová, described as a vegan influencer, matched him in a sophisticated tweed trench coat. The pair, who began dating in recent months, have grown closer in public sightings, and Bonneville has publicly described feeling like a different person around his new girlfriend.
The event brought a host of other notable names. ITV presenter Ben Shephard and his wife Annie attended, as did presenter Charley Boorman, while Mary Berry, the Great British Bake Off icon, was also present. A group photo circulating among attendees shows a lineup including Richard Hammond, positioned between Charley Boorman and Ben Shephard. Attendees noted the outfits: Ben wore a dark green velvet blazer, Charley a navy shirt, and Berry wore a white tailored crochet shirt.
Bonneville is best known for his role as the Earl of Grantham on ITV’s Downton Abbey. He split from his wife of 25 years, Lulu Williams, in September 2023. Since then, reports linked him to Canadian actress Claire Rankin, 54, in March, but he has since moved on with Kadlecová, with The Daily Mail reporting in August that he had introduced her to the Downton cast and crew while filming the latest Downton movie. A separate on-location account noted that Bonneville asked Kadlecová to spend the day on set as filming for Go Away! continued in Hertfordshire, a move that witnesses described as a mood boost for the actor.
The couple’s appearance at the Yard O Led event underscores a growing public profile for their relationship, which has drawn interest from fans and media observers alike. Kadlecová’s presence on the red carpet and Bonneville’s buoyant demeanor on set are consistent with a period in which the actor has spoken about the influence of his partner on his life and work. While the public details of their romance remain relatively private, the duo’s outings at cultural and charity events suggest a leveling of the relationship into a more openly shared phase.