The Strange Way John Oliver Met His Wife
Comedian John Oliver has been using his acerbic wit, deadpan line deliveries, and biting and astute observations of politics and the world around him to make people laugh since his college days. During his time at Cambridge University in his native England, Oliver performed as a member of Cambridge Footlights Comedy Troupe and never looked back. After he graduated from Cambridge, politics became part of his life when he co-created the British radio show "Political Animal" and it was again politics that brought him to the attention of American audiences when he became the British correspondent for Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," a show he appeared on for seven years before eventually getting his own show on HBO in 2014 called "Last Week Tonight" (via The Famous People).
It was also politics and comedy that helped Oliver meet his future wife when he was still a little-known correspondent with "The Daily Show."
John Oliver's future wife saved him from being deported
The year was 2008 and "The Daily Show" sent John Oliver to Minnesota to cover the Republican National Convention. That year's convention was an especially memorable one as John McCain was the nominee who would run against Barack Obama in November, and he used the convention to introduce his running mate, Sarah Palin, to the world. Since Oliver was there on a temporary work visa, he ran into some trouble and a U.S. Army veteran there with the group Vets For Freedom had to save him.
According to The Daily Beast, Oliver entered a restricted area as part of his comedic coverage of the convention and got caught. That's when security started chasing him and his camera crew, so Oliver, who feared deportation, hid with the veterans group after they offered to help — and met the woman who would one day become his wife.
John Oliver found love in the most unexpected place
After the coast was clear that fateful day at the Republican National Convention, John Oliver and former U.S. Army medic Kate Norley exchanged emails after the coast was clear and the rest is romantic history. They became friends at first, but then Oliver proposed in 2010.
The pair married in 2011 and Oliver thinks of his wife as a hero, saying: "Once you've bled for America, you definitely get to say you're an American in a slightly louder tone of voice" (via The Daily Beast).
Oliver and Norley have even managed to stay married despite their political differences. Oliver is a well-known liberal and makes no secret of it on his HBO show, while Norley is Republican who's even made appearances on Fox News, according to The Daily Beast. In an America where political polarization is at its most extreme as of this writing, a Democrat and a Republican making a marriage work shows that true love knows no bounds.