Did you know that before she was hosting world leaders at 10 Downing Street,
Carrie Johnson had dreams of being in movies? She even tried for a part
in the war drama Atonement. Keep watching to learn more about Britain's first lady.
Boris Johnson isn't the first British political figure that Carrie Johnson
has been seriously involved with. Harry Cole might never have run the country,
but he has dutifully reported on British politics for the likes of The Spectator, Sunday Times,
and The Sun, the latter of which he now serves as a political editor for, per LinkedIn.
It's hard to believe, but Carrie, who previously worked as a public relations strategist,
and Cole were once considered the coolest power couple of the younger Conservative movement.
After several years of dating, however, they went their separate ways in 2017, shortly before the
former entered into a relationship with Boris Johnson, per The Daily Mail. Rather awkwardly,
Cole has often had to report on his former girlfriend's new relationship.
There doesn't appear to be any hard feelings, however. In a profile of Carrie Johnson, high
society bible Tatler claimed that Cole very much still speaks fondly of his one-time sweetheart.
Carrie Johnson found herself in the center of a political storm in 2021
when she was accused by Dominic Cummings, her future husband Boris Johnson's former aide,
of trying to unscrupulously obtain jobs for her friends at Downing Street. The strategist,
viewed by many as the mastermind behind Brexit and the prime minister's subsequent rise to power,
was speaking at an official investigation into the government's heavily-criticized
handling of the coronavirus pandemic when he brought Carrie's name into his testimony.
According to the British newspaper i,
Cummings alleged that one of the catalysts for his much-publicized resignation from
Downing Street in November 2020 was Carrie's interference. Cummings said:
"In particular she was trying to overturn the outcome of an
official process about hiring a particular job in a way which was
not only completely unethical but which was also clearly illegal."
If that wasn't enough, the one-time chief advisor also claimed that the former PR guru had thrown a
hissy fit over an article published by The Times about her dog's temperament on the day that her
boyfriend and his colleagues were deciding whether to impose a full national lockdown.
"The Times had run a huge story about the Prime Minister and his girlfriend and their dog.
And the Prime Minister's girlfriend was going completely crackers about this story."
The article was removed, according to The Spectator,
but not before it was archived by The Wayback Machine.
It's certainly one of the most novel reasons for wanting to walk down the aisle. According
to various insiders, Carrie Johnson's surprise wedding to Boris Johnson in 2021 came about
because she'd have found it awkward mixing with various first ladies at the G7 summit
as an unmarried woman. Carrie was tasked with leading the party of other halves during the
all-important event. And she apparently felt it would be more becoming if she could introduce
herself as Mrs. Johnson. The University of Warwick graduate
allegedly also felt that a wedding ring would look better than an
engagement one in front of more traditional delegates. An insider told the Daily Mail,
"It wouldn't have been impossible but it would have been awkward for her to
go as a girlfriend. Some countries, such as Japan,
are quite traditional about it — they want wives mixing with wives."
The newlyweds may have had a certain monarch in mind, too.
The queen was said to have expressed discomfort when Boris
and Carrie stayed at her royal residence in 2019 as an unwed couple, per The Sun.
It turns out that advising various politicians from the Conservative party wasn't the first goal
Carrie Johnson had in mind for her career. The PR specialist initially wanted to be an actor.
In fact, Johnson even auditioned for a much-loved 2007 British film starring Keira Knightley. No,
it wasn't for the part of a much younger staff member who falls in love with a
bumbling prime minister in Love, Actually. The first lady unsuccessfully tried out for
a role in the hit movie adaptation of Ian McEwan's period drama Atonement.
In a 2019 interview with the Daily Mail, Johnson's former boyfriend
Oliver Haiste claimed that she was left devastated after missing out. Haiste told the outlet:
"I think her first passion was always to have been an actress.
That's what she said at the time. But obviously it's such a difficult career to get into."
According to Haiste, Johnson had previously showcased her talents in several amateur
dramatic productions and was able to turn on the waterworks in a matter of seconds "on demand."
Having started to earn a
salary of more than $100,000 a year at age 29, per the Daily Mail, you'd expect Carrie Johnson
to have the funds to splash out on the entire contents of her favorite high-end designer store.
But when it comes to fashion, the first lady much prefers to borrow than to buy.
Yes, Johnson, who allegedly purchased gold wallpaper that cost over $1,100 a roll to
redecorate her marital home, per the Daily Mail, is a keen advocate of renting clothes.
According to Marie Claire, The Vampire's Wife, Alice Early, and Dolce & Gabbana outfits she
sported for her stint leading the other halves during the G7 summit were all rented.
Who knows whether Johnson's love of slow fashion stems from her environmental concerns or simply
a desire to save money? But either way, the industry is delighted to have her on board,
with Chair of My Wardrobe HQ Jane Shepherdson telling the Evening Standard,
"It's very exciting for the future of fashion and its circularity to
see that someone with Carrie's profile, and with so many options open to her,
has chosen to champion fashion rental and a sustainable way of shopping."
In 2020, Carrie Johnson joined an exclusive list when she was awarded the title of PETA's "Person of
the Year." The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals honored the one-time PR executive for
her advocacy of several campaigns. On Twitter, she implored the general public to avoid any
of the coconut-based products from Thailand that had been produced via slave labor monkeys
and spoke out about the practice of wet markets — places where animals are sold like products.
She also participated in an anti-whaling protest demo staged at the Japanese Embassy in London,
per ITV. Ingrid Newkirk, PETA's managing director,
explained specifically why Johnson had been recognized in a glowing press statement:
"Carrie is a fearless force for good when it comes to making the world a kinder place for animals.
PETA is delighted to honor her for using her platform to encourage people to spare
a thought for our fellow animals whom we share this planet with."
In 2007, Carrie Johnson, only 19 years old at the time, was picked up by taxi driver John
Worboys at a London bus stop and drugged in the back of his car. The then-University of Warwick
student was left with no recollection of what occurred next, and she only reported the incident
to the police after seeing a newspaper report about a champagne-spiking cabbie, per The Times.
According to The Guardian, Worboys was initially sentenced to a minimum prison sentence of
eight years for the 12 different attacks he was convicted of, although police believe his true
victim count may surpass 100. In 2017, the Parole Board controversially claimed that the serial sex
offender was no longer a threat and approved an impending release. But in a brave move,
Johnson waived away her anonymity to launch a campaign that challenged this decision.
By promoting a CrowdJustice fundraiser, the future first lady helped to raise almost $90,000
in order to try and keep Worboys behind bars. And in 2018, the Parole Board's ruling was reversed.
"A lot of women are going to be sleeping much, much easier tonight."
Johnson told the Evening Standard,
"The justice system and the Parole Board let us down very badly. We knew he remained
a danger to women and we knew we had to do all we could to prevent anyone else being drugged,
assaulted and raped. And now — finally — we've been listened to and proven right."
Carrie Johnson hasn't just been accused of trying to give her friends jobs in high places.
She's also been accused of trying to get rid of those she doesn't like
who already occupy them. Yes, it seems as though you certainly don't want to
get on the wrong side of the first lady if you're a part of Boris Johnson's government.
"We in this government will work flat out to give this country the leadership it deserves."
In 2021, Carrie was said to push for environment secretary George
Eustice to lose his job over fears about a conflict of interest,
according to the Daily Mail. The proud animal activist apparently believed that the politician
was too closely aligned with the farming lobby and therefore would be compromised when it came
to the subject of animal welfare. Although Carrie never responded to the claims, her one-time boss
Zac Goldsmith described such allegations as sexist and completely fabricated, per The Times.
Just a few months later, though, Carrie was once again making headlines for allegedly
making things difficult for senior Whitehall officials. On this occasion,
it was a couple of civil servants that became her targets, per the Daily Mail. The University
of Warwick graduate is said to have called for her other half to send one official packing
over an argument about the controversial Downing Street refurbishment. She's also rumored to have
made damaging remarks about another which then cost the individual in question a promotion.
We can only ponder what Carrie Johnson's grandparents and great-grandparents would think of a family member aligning themselves with the
Conservative party and marrying a member whom the Financial Times described as a "divisive" leader,
for the former PR strategists roots lie squarely in the opposition.
Yes, Carrie's grandfather, the grandly-named John Beavan, Baron Ardwick, served as a Labour
Member of the European Parliament for four years in the late 1970s and also worked as a political
advisor to the left-leaning Mirror Group, per the Independent. His mother, Alderman Emily Beavan,
meanwhile, was a staunch Labour activist who campaigned strongly for women's rights
and the trade union movement in the working-class areas of Manchester, according to the Daily Mail.
That's all a far cry from the privileged upbringing Carrie enjoyed — she was privately
educated at the Godolphin and Latymer School at a cost of approximately $27,000 per year, as
reported by the Daily Mail. But Keele University history professor Karen Hunt told the Mirror that
the first lady should be honored to be part of such a lineage. Professor Hunt said to the outlet:
"[Emily] was the kind of woman who'd be known in the local community [...] Women like her
who stood for the council acted as the bridge between the council and the community. I think
anyone who found out she was their ancestor would be proud of that level of activism."
Carrie and Boris Johnson's honeymoon period didn't last particularly long. Just months
after news of their relationship became public knowledge, the pair was involved in an altercation
at the former's London home which resulted in the police being called, per The Guardian.
One particular neighbor made that call after growing concerned when they heard a woman's
screams, various loud banging noises, and Carrie shouting at Boris to, quote,
"get off" her. No fewer than three police vehicles arrived at the Victorian property
to investigate the incident, but a spokesman later confirmed that:
"[There] were no offenses or concerns apparent to the officers
and there was no cause for police action."
However, the row was still serious enough to cause a brief change to the couple's living
arrangements. Boris had previously been residing at Carrie's home. But a friend
told Tatler magazine that the former PR strategist felt uncomfortable staying
there in the wake of the argument and moved her belongings out, quote, "suitcase by suitcase."
The now-married pair managed to patch things up, of course, and as of early 2022,
live in perfect harmony in a refurbished flat next door to Boris' Downing Street workplace.
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