Gregg Wallace's unknown rugby career and rollercoaster love life including 'huge mistake'

Wales Online

30-04-2025

Gregg Wallace's unknown rugby career and rollercoaster love life including 'huge mistake'
Masterchef star Gregg Wallace has spoken out for the first time since misconduct allegations were made against him in December, another twist in his dramatic life away from our TV screens
Gregg Wallace spent 19 years as host of Masterchef
(Image: BBC/Shine TV )
Masterchef star Gregg Wallace has spoken out after being accused of sexual misconduct.
The 60-year-old took a step back from the BBC series after 13 individuals made allegations against him last year. In the immediate aftermath, Wallace hit back at the accusations by stating they had come from "a handful of middle-class women of a certain age".
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The backlash he faced led the former greengrocer to struggle with a 'feeling of being under attack, of isolation, of abandonment'. Masterchef's production company, Banijay UK, arranged for Wallace to receive support from a crisis mentor, and he was subsequently diagnosed with autism.
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"I want to make it absolutely clear I'm not blaming my behaviour on my diagnosis, but it does explain a hell of a lot to me," he said to the Daily Mail.
"Although I'm still trying to compute why, if my persona on the telly was p****** so many people off for all those years, nobody told me at the time." It's the latest twist in Wallace's life away from the TV screen, which has taken countless turns over the decades and includes a little-known rugby past.
Rugby passion
Having played across the backline in his school days, Wallace rediscovered his love for rugby as he approached his 30s. Decades after leaving school, a chance meeting with an acquaintance led him to join a team in London, and he later moved into coaching.
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'So I started playing rugby again at the age of 30, at Eton Manor,' Wallace told Rugby World in 2018. 'I wasn't good enough to break into the first team, and this time I played hooker. Which I really, really enjoyed.
Wallace with England rugby stars Alex Corbisiero, Paul Doran-Jones and Matt Banahan in 2011
(Image: Jon Furniss/WireImage )
'After that, I played for London Welsh Occies, the vets side. I was in my mid 30s, going on 40, and by then my son [Tom] was five and in the minis at London Welsh. So I started coaching.'
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Wallace's passion for rugby led him to gain two coaching certificates as he helped with his son's teams. The 60-year-old is a Wasps fan who has attended plenty of games over the years, with rugby remaining a shared love for him and his eldest son. 'We go to watch Wasps, home or away, and we watch England, home or away. That's what we do together,' Wallace said.
Rollercoaster love life
Wallace met his first wife, Christine, while working at a greengrocer's, and the couple tied the knot in 1991. However, their marriage was short-lived, as they broke up after just six weeks.
Eight years later, the TV personality married Denise Lovall, and the pair shared two children together, Tom and Libby. They were together for 14 years in total but split in 2004 after it emerged that Wallace had been unfaithful. Tragically, Denise died in 2017 following a battle with alcoholism.
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Marrying third wife Heidi is a regret of Wallace's
(Image: UK Press via Getty Images )
In 2010, Wallace married Heidi Brown, tying the knot for a third time. Wallace would later describe their relationship as a 'huge mistake', and they broke up after 15 months.
Wallace met his current wife, Anne-Marie Sterpini, whom he affectionately calls Anna, after initially exchanging messages about a rhubarb recipe on social media. They married in 2016 after three years of dating. Sterpini is 21 years younger than Wallace, and they welcomed the arrival of their son Sid in 2019.
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When asked about his four marriages on the White Wine Question Time podcast in 2020, Wallace shared an insight into the different chapters of his love life. He said: "The first one lasted six weeks. I would say don't marry anyone because you are worried about losing your house.
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"So there is the first one. We bought a small house together in Bermondsey, and then we broke up, and I thought, 'Well, this is terrible. What is going to happen to the house?' I have worked so hard all my life, what is now going to happen?'
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"The second one, we were together for 14 years, and the third one was a huge mistake. Probably the unhappiest I have ever been in my life, but she was a teacher and was really good with the kids.'
On his relationship with Sterpini, Wallace added: "What has love taught me? That it is an absolute game of chance and that is it. It is a complete and utter lottery.
"I am very fortunate I got the winning ticket. I won the Euro Millions the day that young lady walked into my life. She popped up on my timeline on Twitter."
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Body transformation
Wallace has transformed his body in recent years after altering his approach to fitness. He insists he has not used a diet but has learned to enjoy healthier meals, which helped him slim down from 16 to 12 stone.
In 2023, while appearing on Good Morning Britain, Wallace advised viewers: "Don't go on a diet. Don't do something that's really difficult that you can't maintain. We're logical people, right? If it's so difficult and so uncomfortable, you won't keep it up."
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Sharing an insight into his fitness routine, Walllace told the Daily Express: "Fitness is at the centre of my working week, my gym sessions are the first things that go into my diary. Getting fit has made a big difference to my energy levels and helps me physically and mentally. I've realised that how you feel about yourself on a day-to-day basis may be the most important thing ever."
After slimming down, Wallace launched his wellness platform, now rebranded to Gregg Wallace.Health. It offers advice from fitness experts and nutritionists, recipes, and healthy meal suggestions.