**Gregg Wallace: The Hidden Rugby Player and the Turbulent Story Behind the MasterChef Star**
Gregg Wallace is best known to most as the affable, booming-voiced presenter of BBC’s MasterChef, a role he held for 19 years before stepping back amid controversy. However, behind the cameras and kitchen counters, Wallace has led a life full of unexpected twists—a journey shaped by both personal adversity and unusual passions, such as his little-known involvement in rugby.
In recent months, Wallace, now 60, has found himself in the media spotlight for reasons unrelated to his culinary expertise. In December last year, multiple allegations of sexual misconduct were levelled against him by former colleagues. Wallace responded robustly to these accusations, suggesting they originated from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age,” yet the ensuing public scrutiny left its mark on the television star. He described the period as one marked by “a feeling of being under attack, of isolation, of abandonment,” sentiments that led producers to arrange support for him—including guidance from a crisis mentor.
A pivotal outcome of that support was a diagnosis of autism, a revelation that provided Wallace with fresh perspective on aspects of his life and behaviour. “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,” Wallace told the Daily Mail. He also opened up about how, despite being a familiar face on national TV for nearly two decades, he was surprised that criticisms of his persona were never raised until the controversy erupted.
Amidst personal and professional upheaval, it’s perhaps surprising that Wallace’s long-standing passion for rugby has remained largely under the radar. As a schoolboy, he played a range of positions across the backline, but it wasn’t until his early thirties that he rediscovered the sport. A chance encounter in London led to him joining Eton Manor’s squad, where he became a hooker and revelled in the social spirit of the game.
Wallace’s rugby involvement didn’t end there. Moving on to play for the London Welsh Occies, the veteran’s team at the club, he also became a committed spectator—especially for the Wasps, his favourite club. Rugby became an important bond between Wallace and his son Tom, who joined him both as a “mini” on the pitch and later as a fellow enthusiast in the stands supporting their teams.
Away from the pitch, Wallace’s personal life has been equally eventful, beginning with swift heartbreaks and eventually culminating in happiness. He first married Christine in 1991, but the union lasted only six weeks—an ordeal that left him fretting over the fate of their Bermondsey home. His second marriage to Denise Lovall brought two children, but the couple separated after 14 years when Wallace admitted to infidelity. Sadly, Lovall passed away in 2017 after a battle with alcoholism, a period Wallace has described with heartfelt candour.
In 2010, Wallace entered his third marriage with Heidi Brown, but he’s since called the decision a “huge mistake”—the partnership lasted just over a year. Stability and joy eventually arrived with Anne-Marie Sterpini, who is 21 years his junior. The pair first bonded online over a rhubarb recipe, got married in 2016, and welcomed their son Sid in 2019. Reflecting on his checkered romantic history on the White Wine Question Time podcast, Wallace remarked: “Love is an absolute game of chance—a lottery.” He believes he finally drew the winning ticket with Sterpini.
Physical transformation is another chapter of Wallace’s evolving story. In recent years, he has managed a remarkable weight loss, dropping from 16 to 12 stone. Rejecting dieting fads, Wallace advocates for sustainable, enjoyable healthy habits. “Don’t go on a diet,” he advised Good Morning Britain viewers in 2023, adding, “If it’s so difficult and so uncomfortable, you won’t keep it up.” He credits daily fitness routines for his new lease of energy and mental wellbeing.
This dedication to health has seen him launch his own wellness platform, now branded Gregg Wallace.Health. It offers expert-backed advice, nutritious recipes, and lifestyle inspiration, marking yet another reinvention for the man whose career has spanned everything from market stalls to prime-time television.
From the rugby field to television studios, and through both tumult and triumph in his personal life, Gregg Wallace’s story is one of resilience, transformation, and the acceptance that life’s course is never entirely predictable. His journey serves as a reminder that even the most familiar faces harbour untold stories behind the scenes.