A big congratulations to Jonny Wilkinson and his wife Shelley, who are expecting their first baby together! Jonny – who won the 2003 Rugby World Cup – is set to become a first time father in the summer, and he can't wait! Talking to The Sun, the 38-year-old said: "I'm genuinely happy now. My life has changed so much in the past six years. I've been on a huge journey." Jonny continued: "It used to be rugby that would give me that pass to feeling good about myself but I don’t need it any more. Today, having dinner with my family is my rugby and having good health is my rugby. I honestly don’t miss playing because I don’t need it anymore."
Jonny Wilkinson and wife Shelley are expecting their first baby
The happy couple met in 2005 while Shelley was working as a waitress in Majorca, and married eight years later in the South of France. The couple opted for a low-key ceremony where they invited only two witnesses. Jonny and his wife were at another wedding last week as they attended the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's nuptials. The couple looked suitably smart for the occasion, with Jonny dressed in a white and navy suit, while Shelley looked stylish in a tailored white coat, a pink lace dress and co-ordinating fascinator.
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Jonny and Shelley attended the royal wedding last week
Jonny's happy news comes after he bravely spoke out about his life-long battle with anxiety. Appearing on This Morning, he told Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield about his experiences to help raise awareness for male suicide. Jonny revealed that he had started to feel anxious when he was just six years old, but that it was nothing to do with his upbringing, which was "phenomenal". Jonny also said that the only time he wasn’t struggling was when he was on the pitch. "I struggled for six and three quarter days a week but I let go for two hours. The struggle didn’t help me but I made this idea that by struggling, the two hours went well. It has no logic," he said. Jonny added that he was now getting "better and better" because he accepted his struggle and worked on himself.