Five years ago, they gave up everything for their relationship. Now Hugh Marks and Alexi Baker are married

2 months ago 20

The summer season is traditionally a dull one for national media – but not for ABC managing director Hugh Marks, who got married on Saturday.

Marks married his partner, non-executive director Alexi Baker, at their Paddington home before a small evening reception with family and close friends.

Alexi Baker and Hugh Marks at the Midwinter Ball at Parliament House in August.

The news caught your CBD columnist unawares – we had signed off on our farewell column for 2025, put our feet up and ordered a pint of pina colada, when news of the last big wedding of the year came crashing into our summer schedule.

The afternoon nuptial at the couple’s Paddington home was conducted by a Japanese celebrant.

There was no formal wedding party, CBD hears; rather, the ceremony was attended by Marks’s four children from his first marriage, who had gathered from the four corners: Eliza, from London, Julia from New York as well as Grace and Joshua.

They were joined by Marks and Baker’s son, Hamish, who made himself central to proceedings in the way that only a self-possessed three-year old can.

Baker’s dress, which she bought online, was from Ann Demeulemeester. And Marks kept the silverware in the family, choosing the rings from his jeweller brother Percy Marks.

The evening reception was less media types and more civilians, with the bulk of the guests at Potts Point mainstay restaurant Fratelli Paradiso comprised of family and close friends.

The relationship between Marks, 59, and Baker, 43, was controversial and newsworthy when it became public knowledge five years ago.

Marks was then chief executive of media company Nine Entertainment, publisher of this masthead, while Baker was his former subordinate, having left as managing director of commercial in October 2020.

The normally understated Marks, who is ironically known in the industry as Hollywood Hugh, informed the board and went public via an item in the Herald’s Private Sydney column in November. He resigned the same day, saying in an interview the couple wanted “to be able to pursue that relationship without the impediment of the organisation”.

After Nine, Baker spent two years at the National Rugby League as a chief customer and digital officer and is now a non-executive director of digital wagering outfit Betr Entertainment, Rugby Australia and Healthy Bones Australia.

The honeymoon will be a brief jaunt to the exclusive Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island, where a family friend said the couple will be able to indulge their love of walking.

A strenuous hike up the formidable 875 metre Mount Gower is not on the agenda but the couple might be wise to reconsider.

Not only do Lord Howe Island airport ground staff weigh baggage on the return journey, but due to the small size of the standard De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q200 turboprop aircraft which service the island, they weigh passengers as well.