Key facts
- Marie-France van Heel, wife of UK Labour Party leader Andy Burnham, is set to become the Prime Minister's spouse.
- She met Burnham in 1989 while they were both students at Cambridge University.
- Van Heel appeared on the TV show 'Blind Date' in 1992.
- She has a career in marketing and strategy, including work for Sky and involvement in logo designs for the BBC and England Rugby.
- Van Heel currently holds executive positions in the electric vehicle charging network sector.
- She and Andy Burnham married in 2000 and have three children.
Marie-France van Heel, the wife of UK Labour Party leader Andy Burnham, is set to assume the role of Prime Minister's spouse. Van Heel, born in the Netherlands in January 1970, met Burnham in 1989 while they were both students at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. She was described as the 'coolest girl in college' at the time.
Van Heel pursued a career in marketing after graduating from Cambridge. Her work has included roles at Sky and contributing to logo designs for the BBC and England Rugby. She also ran her own firm, MVH Marketing, before dissolving it in 2011. More recently, she became chief strategy officer for campaign designer Heavenly in 2022 and joined the board of electric vehicle charging network Be.EV in 2024, also becoming chief marketing officer of its parent firm, Iduna Infrastructure.
In a notable moment from her past, Van Heel appeared on the ITV dating show 'Blind Date' in 1992, with Burnham's consent. She went on a date with Will Harris, who later became marketing director for the Conservative Party. Van Heel and Burnham married in 2000 and have three children: a son, Jimmy, and two daughters, Rosie and Annie. She has supported Burnham's political career, including his campaigns for leadership. There has been some scrutiny regarding her role at Iduna, with Burnham having declared her position and recused himself from related decisions to avoid conflicts of interest.