Sunday Brunch star Tim Lovejoy's life – from famous ex to heartbreaking loss

08 October 2023 , 07:30

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Sunday Brunch star Tim Lovejoy's life – from famous ex to heartbreaking loss

Sunday Brunch has been a staple on our TV screens for over a decade, with memorable celebrity interviews and of course, delicious meals.

The show is presented by duo Simon Rimmer, 59, and Tim Lovejoy, 54, who lead viewers through the weekly Channel 4 programme. Many viewers might not know that there have been many ups and downs in Tim's life, from a devastating family loss, to career challenges. We've taken a look at the veteran TV's presenter life off-screen.

Brother's tragic death

Some 18 years ago Tim lost his brother James, aged just 37, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. After he was diagnosed, James was given chemotherapy, but after just three months doctors realised there was nothing they could do. In James' final months, he couldn't talk about his death because he was afraid. Tim explained on the Marie Curie Couch podcast: "He was scared and he didn't want to talk about it."

(Rex Features)

He added: "You know, I wish I could have had conversations with him about death, if I'm honest with you, though it happened so quickly at the end that there was never an opportunity to do that." The TV presenter was with his brother when he died. He said: "It was absolutely incredible and numbing. No one knew what to do. It was mixed emotions. You have anger – it was anger towards why this had happened to my brother and there's a myriad of emotions that hit you."

Tim said he learned to live with his grief by speaking about his brother. He added: "I just talked a lot about it to people. I want to talk about him and I want to talk about cancer. We run away from emotions and people think that you don't want to bring them up, but you still have to live with them. You can't just suppress them constantly. I do recommend, for anyone who's going through anything to do with this… talk, talk, talk. Discussions, it's all about discussions."

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Career ups and downs

Starting out in the entertainment industry, Tim worked at MTV and then as a researcher for The Big Breakfast, which he went on to produce. He became a familiar face on the TV when he started hosting Soccer AM with Helen Chamberlain, staying there for more than a decade.

(@timlovejoy_official/Instagram)

But the star has suffered knock-backs. Before his big break he auditioned for kids' show Blue Peter in 1998, but failed to clinch the deal. A decade on however, and he was a guest presenter on the iconic show, filling in for Helen Skelton. His book, Lovejoy on Football was not embraced by critics. Writing in monthly football magazine When Saturday Comes, Taylor Parkes described the attempt as "tedious in the extreme ... Hopelessly banal and nauseatingly self-assured, smirkingly unfunny."

Time with his kids

Tim is dad to 20-year-old twins Grace and Rose, who he shares with ex-wife Jade, as well as younger daughter Jamie, who he shares with ex Tamsin Greenway. In 2016, he spoke about the heartache of not seeing his children every day. He told The Mirror: "It’s horrendous. It’s been really hard. I’ve never got used to not being around my children. I have to deal with it but it’s not the best thing."

Speaking about his eldest daughters, he told the Sunday People : "I go on holiday with them and see them half the time and do school stuff with them." In the same year, he spoke about what it was like to be a single guy in a family of girls. He told Bella Magazine: "It's funny actually. I remember years ago, because I've pretty much been a single dad with all my kids. I remember sitting there and all my mates were laughing because one of the kids came down with their Barbie doll and said: 'Dad, can you put the shoes back on, and the dress? I’m so used to it that I just got on with it."

Sports star ex

For four years, Tim dated netball player Tamsin Greenway. An ex England netball international player, she won medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2011 and 2015 Netball World Cups. Tamsin is the head coach of the Scotland netball team, and works as a match pundit for Sky Sports. Tim’s agent confirmed the split in 2016, saying: "Tim and Tamsin have sadly split up. They have a daughter together who remain their priority."

Katherine Heslop