Bradley Walsh's life off screen - famous ex, dancer wife and church devotion
Best known for presenting The Chase since 2009, Bradley Walsh often has contestants and viewers in stitches but behind the scenes, his life has certainly had its fair share of ups and downs. He was once in a relationship with Irish actress Bernie Nolan, who he was introduced to by Eastenders star Shane Richie but they split up due to his alleged infidelity.
Sadly, Bernie died in 2013 after a three-year battle with cancer. Before she died, she told The Mirror: “Shane Richie and Coleen introduced me to Bradley in 1989. They took me to see him in a show. Afterwards we chatted for the first time. It was a bit embarrassing because I already knew he fancied me, but it was awkward in a nice way.”
He was previously with Bernie Nolan, who sadly died (PA)
(L to R) Bradley Walsh, Donna Derby and Barney Walsh attend the National Television Awards on January 25, 2017 (Getty Images Europe)“From that evening we were together,” she continued. “We never argued, we went for picnics in the Lake District and everything about our relationship seemed great when it was just the two of us.” The pair split up in 1992 but Bradley found love again with Donna Derby in 1997 - and the two have now been married for 24 years. Donna is a former dancer and now choreographer, and she sprang to fame in the 1980s for dancing in Robert Palmer’s hit record Simply Irresistible.
You may even recognise their son Barney, who is now 24, and appeared in The Larkins. In 2017 and 2018 Bradley worked as a presenter for Miss World and toured with the Beauty With A Purpose project. He told The Mirror: "I wouldn't swap my missus for the world. Donna isn't just beautiful, she's the most fantastic wife and mother."
As well as presenting Bradley has also dabbled with acting, starring in Doctors, Law & Order UK, and of course Coronation St. Viewers may also remember the father and son antics on ITV ’s Bradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad where the comedian and presenter Bradley Walsh is taken by his son Barney on a series of road trips taking part in challenges along the way.
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Walsh also has a daughter born 1982 from a previous relationship. Walsh attends church and has described himself as "very spiritual". In 2016, he told the Huffington Post: "I’m very spiritual myself, I like a church, I’m quite a believer in that. Not necessarily in God, as a person, but as an entity. But I always say my prayers and I go to church. I think to have any type of faith, no matter who you are or where you live, and look for guidance there is a good thing. So whether that’s a higher entity, I’m not sure… but I think we’re all driven by a certain faith to do good and spread love.”
He also revealed how the best piece of advice he was ever given was from TV presenter Des O’Connor. "I was working on the 1993 Royal Variety Performance. It was recorded on the Monday, and on the Sunday, I got a phone call - I was only a kid, 33, I think I was, and it was my first big break - from Des O’Connor," he began.
He said to me: "Imagine there are no TV cameras, just be yourself, don’t work to the cameras. But also, don’t work to the Queen, she’s not interested in comedy, she loves the ballet. And I took that on board - I didn’t even acknowledge the Queen until the end, I had to bow and then get off. I did really well on that show, but that phone call alone got rid of any worries or any nerves that I had, and that helped launch what I was trying to do at that time.
"Another piece of advice is, don’t give up. Don’t let anyone tell you ‘no’, that’s just their opinion. There’ll always be someone along the line who’ll say ‘yes’. There could be millions of ‘no’s, but that’s actually just as good as the word ‘yes’, because it means you can go elsewhere. So don’t give up."
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