Gregg Wallace has hit headlines after he announced he is stepping away from his role on the BBC cookery competition, MasterChef, while historical allegations of misconduct are being investigated.
The presenter has been accused of making inappropriate comments of a sexual nature that date back to 2018. His future on the BBC programme remains uncertain while the investigation continues.
Gregg has always maintained his defence and emphasized his commitment to his wife, Anne-Marie Sterpini, who he calls Anna, in reference to the allegations.
© Shutterstock"Nobody six years ago accused me of flirting with anybody or hitting on anybody," he said. "I have always been true to my wife Anna," he said previously.
"I've never flirted or hit on anybody in the twelve years I've been with my wife. It's important that people understand that."
The former MasterChef host and his wife married in 2016, and it seems that it was fourth time lucky for the food presenter, following his three unsuccessful marriages.
Much like her husband, Anne-Marie is a caterer and it was their shared love of food that ended up getting the lovebirds together. Since their meeting, which involved restaurant dates, the couple enjoyed a spectacular 2016 wedding, which was covered exclusively by HELLO!, and have since welcomed a child.
Here's all you need to know about Gregg's wife, Anne-Marie, who is often out of the spotlight...
First meeting
Food critic Gregg must be inundated with foodie questions and comments on his social media channels, but when Anne-Marie, also known as Anna, sent him a message it grabbed all his attention.
The caterer contacted Gregg in 2013 to simply ask if rhubarb really went with duck, after seeing him try the recipe on a TV show. "I just looked at Anna's photo and thought, 'Wow, she's pretty,'" Gregg told HELLO! magazine, before revealing that they started exchanging messages before meeting for dinner in London.
© David M. BenettGregg previously spoke of Anne-Marie's nerves before going on her first date with the star, believing that the messages may have been fake. Speaking on Lorraine, the chef said: "She came down to London to have dinner with me, and she said it wasn't until we got to the restaurant, that she was comfortable it was really me and not an imposter."
Despite their love quickly blossoming, Gregg shared some concerns as the couple have a 21-year age difference. He explained: "People look at you anyway and I felt really conscious because she was younger and I didn't want people to judge her harshly. It was doing the ordinary things."
Gregg Wallace's wedding
The happy couple got engaged in December 2014 and married at Hever Castle in Kent in August 2016, in a ceremony shared exclusively with HELLO!. The nuptials were attended by Gregg's MasterChef co-star John Torode, who was best man, and his now-wife Lisa Faulkner.
© HELLO!In the HELLO! interview, Gregg opened up about Anna, saying: "Meeting Anna has brought me what I think I've always been searching for – that big, warm family dynamic and there's real strength in that. I'm very conscious of people thinking I just do this willy-nilly. But we haven't rushed into this – we've been together for three years and I truly have never met anyone like Anna."
Gregg Wallace's children
Gregg and Anna then welcomed their son, Sid Massimo Wallace, in May 2019 and they live in a £1million home in Kent along with Anna's parents. During an edition of Loose Women, Gregg revealed that Sid was autistic.
Social media trolls have previously questioned how much Gregg and Anne-Marie wanted Sid, with Gregg later hitting back: "And the other thing as well - and I'm almost going to cry over this - people saying that Sid was unwanted. It took us two years to conceive with Sid. Two years."
Gregg's ex-wives
This is not Gregg's first marriage though, as he's tied the knot three times prior to saying "I do" to Anna.
Gregg was a 24-year-old greengrocer when he met his first wife Christine, who he married in an impromptu ceremony in 1991, but the marriage lasted only six weeks.
© Mark CuthbertThe star then married a pastry chef called Denise in 1999, and they have two children together, Tom and Libby. The couple were married for five years before his wife broke it off because of Gregg's infidelity.
By 2010 Gregg was ready to marry again, but he and his third wife Heidi split 15 months after saying their vows at Coworth Park in Berkshire. The star later said that marrying Heidi was a "mistake" but he was drawn in because of her being a teacher and being good with his children.
