Ingrid Tarrant has secret crush on Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin - widely condemned for being responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in Ukraine amid Russia's large-scale invasion of the country - holds a certain charm for Ingrid Tarrant.
Ingrid Tarrant has a secret crush on Vladimir Putin.
Although the Russian President, 73, has been widely condemned for being responsible for deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in Ukraine since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022, Putin still holds a certain appeal for Ingrid.
Ingrid, 71, explained to Best magazine's editor-in-chief Siobhan Wykes on the latest episode of the publication's Suddenly Single podcast: "What I like about him is that he doesn't waver.
"I like a strong man. You may not like his policies or anything like that, but I have such respect for a man that you can look to, and he's constant. He speaks from the heart for his country.
"Now, again, a lot of people will disagree, but you can't please all the people all the time. A lot of people like [Prime Minister Sir Keir] Stammer - I can't stand the man.
"Putin, to me, he's got backbone, he's strong, he stands up to people. He confronts a problem and a situation. And I feel that he's like me, actually, in many ways.
"If I really believe in something, which I genuinely do believe in so many things, I will say it, and take the consequences. People can shout me down, but they're not going to shake me."
Ingrid and Putin share similar interests, including horse riding.
She added: "And the love of dogs and fishing. I don't know about goldfish. I think he does rod fishing. It'd be great to have a day out with him. Well, a week out with him because we could do a different thing each week, each day of the week."
Ingrid has "penned a letter in my head" to be sent to the Kremlin, Moscow, which serves as Putin's official residence.
She added: "I've got as far as putting it on the computer. It starts off with, 'We have so much in common...' and yes, 'Dear Vlad.'"
Ingrid was married to the former Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? host Chris Tarrant, 79, between 1991 and 2007.
The relationship ended in divorce after Chris admitted adultery, which Ingrid exposed through a private detective.
