David Sorkin is best known as the fourth husband of British journalist and television personality Janet Street-Porter. Unlike his former wife, he did not build a career in television or journalism. British press profiles from the period described him as a salesman.

Their relationship became public because of its unusual start and short duration. Sorkin was 22 years younger than Street-Porter. The pair met at a party, travelled together in the United States, and then married in Las Vegas. Their marriage ended soon afterward and was over by 1999.

Much of what is publicly known about Sorkin comes from Street-Porter’s interviews about their relationship. There is little reliable information about his childhood, family, education, or later career. For that reason, a factual biography should separate confirmed details from information that has never been made public.

Quick Bio

Who Is David Sorkin?

Sorkin became known to the British public through his relationship with Janet Street-Porter. She was already an established newspaper editor, television executive, broadcaster, and media personality when they became involved.

He came from outside her high-profile media career. Newspaper profiles identified him as a salesman rather than an entertainer or journalist. A 2004 Guardian profile also described him simply as a salesman and noted the large age difference between the couple.

This distinction matters because there is little evidence that he ever tried to establish an independent celebrity career. His name appeared mainly in stories about Street-Porter’s private life.

That limited public record also means many basic biographical details about him are not reliably documented. His exact birth date, parents, education, and place of birth have not been established by strong mainstream sources.

How Did He Meet Janet Street-Porter?

The relationship began during the 1990s. According to Street-Porter’s later account, she met Sorkin at a party hosted by Neil Tennant, one half of the British pop duo Pet Shop Boys.

Their relationship moved quickly. They had known each other for only a short period before travelling across the United States together.

Street-Porter later recalled that the trip was not especially peaceful. She said they argued in several cities, including New Orleans, Savannah, and Taos. Despite those arguments, they continued to Las Vegas.

There, the relationship took an unexpected turn. Instead of ending the trip as an unmarried couple, they decided to get married.

David Sorkin and Janet Street-Porter’s Las Vegas Wedding

The pair married in Las Vegas in the late 1990s. Modern biographical sources generally place the marriage in 1997, while Street-Porter’s own recollections describe it as an impulsive decision made only weeks after meeting him.

Street-Porter was around 50 at the time. Sorkin was about 27, making him roughly 22 years younger than his new wife. The age difference attracted attention once the marriage became public.

Street-Porter later spoke openly about how uncertain she felt almost immediately after the ceremony. She has repeatedly described the wedding as an impulsive choice rather than a carefully planned marriage.

In later interviews, she connected the decision with the way she felt about relationships at that stage of her life. She described the episode as part of a difficult personal period and eventually referred to the marriage as a mistake.

Why Did Their Marriage End?

The relationship deteriorated quickly after the Las Vegas wedding. Street-Porter has said she realized almost immediately that the marriage was unlikely to work.

She later told an interviewer that after returning to Britain, she contacted her lawyer because she wanted to end the marriage. However, English divorce rules at the time meant the process could not be completed immediately.

Their disagreements continued. One widely repeated story from Street-Porter’s interviews describes a domestic argument in which Sorkin squirted salad cream at her. She later used the incident when talking about how badly the relationship had broken down.

Sources vary slightly when describing the exact length of the marriage. What is clearer is that it was brief. Major biographical references list the couple as married in 1997 and divorced in 1999.

What Happened After the Divorce?

The separation did not remain completely private. After the marriage ended, Sorkin spoke to the British tabloid press about his former wife.

Some of his comments focused on intimate aspects of their relationship. Street-Porter later discussed those stories in interviews and disputed or mocked some of the claims attributed to him.

The episode appears to have damaged any possibility of a close relationship between the former spouses. Street-Porter has maintained friendly relationships with some of her other former husbands, but she made clear that her relationship with Sorkin was different.

In an Evening Standard interview, she said that she no longer saw him and did not know where he was living at the time.

What Did David Sorkin Do for a Living?

Reliable British newspaper profiles describe David Sorkin as a salesman. Some reports from the period described him as unemployed around the time his marriage became a subject of media attention.

There is no strong evidence connecting him to a major company, senior executive position, entertainment career, or other prominent profession.

This is important because online biographies sometimes attach careers or financial claims to people who share the same name. David Sorkin is not an unusual enough name to safely assume that unrelated business records, professional profiles, or corporate listings belong to Street-Porter’s former husband.

No reliable public source establishes his personal net worth either. Any precise figure attached to him should therefore be treated with caution unless it is supported by direct financial documentation.

Who Is Janet Street-Porter?

Understanding the public interest in the marriage requires some background on his former wife. Janet Street-Porter, born Janet Vera Bull in London in 1946, became one of Britain’s most recognizable journalists and broadcasters.

She started her career in print journalism before moving into radio and television. Her career included senior roles in British broadcasting as well as regular appearances on television. In more recent years, she became particularly familiar to audiences through ITV’s Loose Women.

Before Sorkin, she had been married to photographer Tim Street-Porter, Time Out founder Tony Elliott, and Canadian filmmaker Frank Cvitanovich.

Her marriage to Sorkin was therefore her fourth. In January 2026, Street-Porter married long-term partner Peter Spanton, making him her fifth husband.

Why Is So Little Known About Him?

There is a simple reason. Sorkin was not a major public figure before his marriage.

He did not have the extensive newspaper, television, and professional record that surrounds Street-Porter. Most substantial press references to him come from articles examining her marriages or from interviews in which she discussed her personal life.

That creates an unusually narrow public biography. Facts about his parents, childhood, schooling, siblings, exact birth date, and later relationships have not been reliably established in major sources.

A responsible biography should not fill those gaps with assumptions. The verified story is mainly about a private salesman who briefly became part of British celebrity culture after marrying one of the country’s best-known media personalities.

Where Is David Sorkin Now?

His present life appears to be private. There is no well-supported recent public record showing that he returned to television, became a public personality, or regularly discussed his former marriage.

Street-Porter herself said years after the divorce that she no longer saw her fourth husband and did not know where he was.

That means claims about his current residence, relationship status, wealth, or profession should not be presented as fact without fresh documentary evidence.

His former wife, meanwhile, has remained highly visible. Street-Porter continued working in British television and announced her marriage to Peter Spanton in 2026.

David Sorkin’s Place in Janet Street-Porter’s Life Story

David Sorkin occupies a small but frequently discussed chapter in Janet Street-Porter’s personal history.

Their relationship began quickly. They met through a social connection, travelled together across America, and married in Las Vegas despite already experiencing disagreements. The marriage then fell apart almost as rapidly as it had begun.

Street-Porter has been unusually open about the episode. Rather than presenting it as a great lost romance, she has often described it as an impulsive decision from a complicated period in her life.

For Sorkin, the marriage produced a brief period of national attention. Once the divorce and later tabloid coverage faded, however, he largely disappeared from the public spotlight.

Final Thoughts

David Sorkin became publicly known because of his brief marriage to Janet Street-Porter. He was about 27 when the couple married in Las Vegas, while she was roughly 22 years older. Contemporary and later reports describe him as a salesman.

Their marriage was impulsive and short. It ended by 1999, followed by tabloid coverage and an apparent end to contact between the former couple.

Beyond that chapter, verified information about his life remains limited. There is no reliable basis for assigning him a precise net worth, detailed family background, or current occupation. His biography is therefore best understood through the confirmed events surrounding his marriage rather than unsupported claims about his private life.

FAQs

Who is David Sorkin?

He is a former salesman best known as the fourth husband of British journalist and television personality Janet Street-Porter. Their marriage took place in Las Vegas and ended after a relatively short period.

How old was Janet Street-Porter’s fourth husband?

Contemporary profiles reported that he was about 27 years old when they married. Street-Porter was around 50, making their age difference roughly 22 years.

When did Janet Street-Porter marry David Sorkin?

Widely used biographical records place their marriage in 1997. They married in Las Vegas after knowing each other for only a short time.

When did Janet Street-Porter and her fourth husband divorce?

The marriage had ended by 1999. Reports differ slightly about its precise duration, but all reliable accounts describe it as a brief marriage.

Did Janet Street-Porter and her fourth husband have children?

No. There is no record of the couple having children together. Street-Porter herself has no children.