Akshata Murty certifies Sunak’s culinary skills, but says PM doesn't get much time

PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak has got the thumbs up on his cooking skills from his wife Akshata Murty, who admitted that he does not get much time to spend in the kitchen with a busy day job running the country.

The British Indian first couple were speaking to Grazia women’s magazine in a joint interview from 10 Downing Street in time for International Women’s Day this month.

They gave insights into their life at the UK’s most famous address where they live with their daughters Krishna, 12, and Anoushka, 11, and the family dog Nova.

“Rishi is the better cook. I do have a great deal of enthusiasm, but Rishi definitely has more talent in that department,” Murty shared.

“But it’s mainly just breakfast on Saturday mornings now. Gordon Ramsay’s scrambled eggs” added Sunak.

The couple also admitted that Sunak is the tidier of the two, often having to come back into the bedroom to make up the bed in the mornings.

“I’m not a morning person,” admits Murty, to which her husband remarks: “But you also just don’t like making the bed and it bugs me. I actually sometimes come up back into the flat from the office after we’ve all left to make the bed because I’ll be irritated if it’s not been made.”

Having met when they were both studying at Stanford University, Murty reveals how her untidy habits would rile him even back then.

“When we were studying, I used to actually eat in my bed. Rishi would come to where I lived. Sometimes there would be plates in my bed,” said Murty, admitting that she is “not the most organised person” compared to her husband.

Now as parents, the couple – both 43 – said they tend to divide the task fairly equally with Murty taking charge of the homework department and Sunak taking care of the rest.

“I’m stricter when it comes to things related to school, like getting their homework done, making sure they are reading. Making sure that anything related to school is done well,” said Murty.

The businesswoman daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy also admits to having greater flexibility in her daily schedule to be able to exercise more than her husband and also find time to read more books. The couple wind down for the day by watching re-runs of episodes of the sitcom Friends, which they both love because it “never gets old”.

“I’m too exhausted when I get home so I watch an episode of Friends and go to bed,” shares Sunak, who is able to find time to go out running only once or twice a week.

The couple moved into 10 Downing Street in October 2022 when Sunak was elected leader of the governing Tory party and took charge as Britain’s first non-white prime minister following months of political turmoil.

He is now preparing for his first general election as Tory leader, which he has indicated will take place in the second half of 2024 but there is some opposition Labour party speculation that it may be sooner than that.

(PTI)