Jonny Wilkinson's dramatic double life ended his relationship with Sky Sports presenter - Ruck

Jonny Wilkinson’s dramatic double life ended his relationship with Sky Sports presenter

England rugby legend Jonny Wilkinson led his team to World Cup victory in 2003.

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On October 21, 2013, Jonny married his girlfriend of eight years, Shelley Jenkins, in a private ceremony in Bandol, on the French Riviera, near Toulon. They now have one child, a son believed to be named James.

However, away from being the best player in the world, Jonny has been candid about the mental health struggles he faced after the World Cup, especially during his time off the pitch due to injuries.

“I spent my career surviving the pressure I put on myself,” Wilkinson says. “When you get to the end you look back and you say ‘what did I do with my career?’ I survived it. Well if you had told that to me when I was 20 I would have smacked myself.”

Jonny and Shelley met in 2005, shortly after Wilkinson ended his relationship with prominent Sky Sports presenter Diana Stewart.

Di joined Sky in February 2003 and covered a variety of sports, including golf, tennis, boxing, football, and rugby, before taking on her current role as the host of Sky’s ‘Golf Night’.

A friend noted that Wilkinson’s intense dedication to rugby had strained his relationships. “It is the same with all his relationships; rugby got in the way then as it is doing now,” the friend said.

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“He’s just so committed to the sport that there is no room for anything else.”

Commenting on the split, Diana said: “We are not in a relationship at the moment, but we are still very close. Jonny and I speak every day, but the two of us have a lot of things going on in our lives.

“There was no one particular thing. A lot of factors played a part in the decision. Even so we are still incredibly supportive of each other. It works well.”

Diana married European Tour golfer Nick Dougherty on New Year’s Eve 2010. She also dated Declan Donnelly of Ant & Dec following her split from Wilkinson.

What England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup heroes look like now, some are very different

Sir Clive Woodward’s England lifted the William Webb Ellis trophy for the first – and so far only – time in 2003, after a Jonny Wilkinson drop goal in extra time.

Woodward’s side are still the only northern hemisphere side to win the World Cup, with the other nine tournaments won by South Africa (four), New Zealand (three) and Australia (two). 

In a video posted by England Rugby’s Instagram account, Wilkinson – who scored the all important drop goal 28 seconds from time – said: ‘It’s great being back with all the guys from the squad 20 years on.

‘It’s great to be able to see everyone, and to get a feel of what everyone’s been up to, but also to I guess get a feel for why we were able to do what we did 20 years ago, because it still lives on in everyone.’

Take a look at how some of the key players look now:

Phil Vickery

A former Gloucester and London Wasps prop, Phil Vickery called time on his career at the end of the 2010 Premiership season. The two-time British & Irish Lion was a revered opponent across the world, and has since started a successful clothing brand ‘Raging Bull’, with his on-field nickname. Vickery was forced into retirement due to a series of neck injuries, and in 2012 he joined Worcester Warriors as their Scrum Coach.

Vickery has also tried his hand at sports broadcasting, as he was apart of the commentary team for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. His on-screen appearances have also been witnessed across a variety of TV shows, including ‘Celebrity MasterChef’, which he won in 2011. An eternal fan favourite at Kingsholm Stadium, Vickery was appointed the title of Deputy Lieutenant of Gloucestershire in 2015.

Jonny Wilkinson

Renowned for his iconic drop-goal that secured victory against Australia in the 2003 final, Wilkinson transitioned into a coaching role with Toulon, focusing on kicking and skills development following his retirement. He also now works as a pundit for ITV Sport during Rugby World Cup’s and the Six Nations.

Will Greenwood

Greenwood continued to shine on the international stage following the 2003 glory, and went on to represent the British & Irish Lions for their 2005 tour to New Zealand. He ended his career at Harlequins in 2006, and soon gave his experienced views through analysis and punditry. Greenwood co-hosted the ‘School of Hard Knocks’ TV series with former Wales international Scott Quinnell, and was an on-screen analyst for ITV as England reached the final of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Will has also explored opportunities away from rugby, and is the current Chief Customer Officer for data and software company Afiniti’s London office. Greenwood’s family was struck with tragedy, after his son Freddie died just 45 minutes after being born. The former England centre underwent an inspirational walk to the North Pole in memory of his son, and helped to raise over £750,000 for Borne’s research. Greenwood is a patron of Borne, who are a medical research charity that work with cases of premature birth. He is also a patron of Child Bereavement UK, which is a charity that support parents who have lost a child.

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