Jenny Agutter and Johan Tham have a son togetherCredit: PA
Jenny Agutter is mourning the loss of her beloved husband, Johan Tham, who has passed away at the age of 81.
The Swedish-born property entrepreneur and hotelier — best known for restoring the Grade I listed Cliveden House — died on November 17 following a battle with cancer. He had been married to the Call the Midwife star for 35 years.
Tham renovated the Grade I listed Cliveden House, turning it into a luxury hotelCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
The couple tied the knot in 1990 and went on to welcome a son together, Jonathan, who is now a GP.
Reflecting on how their love story began, Jenny previously spoke candidly about her first meeting with Johan and the unique challenges of forming relationships in the public eye.
Tham and Agutter were married for 35 yearsCredit: BBC
“One of the things about meeting people and forming relationships as an actor is that others have an idea of who you are before they meet you,” she said.
“That’s hard in any relationship — particularly with men.”
She added that Johan stood apart from others she had known.
Johan Tham and Jenny Agutter were married in 1990Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
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“When Johan and I met, I did not feel he had any sense of who I was at all, but he wanted to find out — and that made a big difference. I’m still finding out about him 31 years on.”
From Sweden to Cliveden House
Johan was born in 1944 in Nyköping, Sweden, before moving to England with his family at the age of four. He grew up alongside his older sister Christina and twin brothers Sebastian and Peter.
Educated at Heatherdown School before boarding at Charterhouse, Johan later attended university before embarking on a successful career in property and hospitality.
In 1978, he co-founded Blakeney Hotels with businessman John Lewis. His most notable achievement came in 1984, when he became managing director of Cliveden House in Buckinghamshire, overseeing its transformation into one of Britain’s most prestigious luxury hotels.
Cliveden was later sold in 2011 to property developer brothers Ian and Richard Livingston.
A Blended Family and a Lasting Partnership
Before marrying Jenny, Johan had a daughter, Johanna — now a special needs teacher — with his first wife, Anna Lallerstedt, as well as two stepchildren. Following their divorce, he met Jenny Agutter in 1989 at an arts festival in Bath.
Their marriage would span more than three decades, marked by privacy, mutual respect, and a shared family life largely kept away from the spotlight.
Johan Tham is survived by his children Jonathan and Johanna.
For Jenny Agutter, the loss marks the end of a deeply personal chapter — one defined not by fame, but by a quiet, enduring love that lasted 35 years.
Source: Rewritten and adapted from reporting by Daily Mail
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/
