Charlotte Church, who’s a part of the solid for the primary sequence of Movie star Traitors, was as soon as one half of Wales’ most high-profile energy couple.
Church and Henson have been collectively for 5 years (Picture: undefined)
Few rugby gamers have transcended the game fairly like Gavin Henson, with the previous Wales worldwide as soon as in comparison with David Beckham for his on-field expertise and eventful life away from the sport. The flamboyant again was one of the crucial naturally gifted gamers of his era, fascinating audiences along with his performances on the worldwide stage as he single-handedly turned matches on their head on multiple event.
Along with incomes 33 caps for Wales and touring with the British and Irish Lions in 2005, Henson performed for 3 of the 4 Welsh areas – the Ospreys, Dragons and Cardiff – in addition to having stints in England with Saracens, Bathtub, Bristol and London Welsh, and a spell in France with Toulon. He skilled nice success with Wales, being a part of two superb Grand Slam campaigns in 2005 and 2008, whereas he additionally gained two home titles and the Anglo-Welsh Cup with the Ospreys. Nevertheless, for all of the headlines he made for his performances on the pitch, he would make simply as many off it, typically for the mistaken causes.
Most notably, Henson’s relationship with singer Charlotte Church – who’s one in all 19 well-known faces participating within the BBC’s new sequence of Movie star Traitors – dominated newspaper headlines all through a lot of the 2000s, as they grew to become one of the crucial high-profile {couples} in British sport.
He would later have stints on actuality TV exhibits, together with Strictly Come Dancing, however issues now look very totally different for the previous rugby star, who’s 43 years previous. From his romance with Church to operating his personal pub, this is what it is advisable learn about Henson’s life away from the pitch.
Church, who rose to fame as a classical singer earlier than pursuing a pop profession, sparked a media frenzy when she was first seen in public with Henson in April 2005, shortly after she ended her relationship with ex-boyfriend Kyle Johnson.
On her BBC podcast, Kicking Again With the Cardiffians, Church revealed that she sought out Henson after watching him play on TV, saying: “I bear in mind watching on this tv, Wales vs England, when Gavin kicked the kick over.
“Then that night time – I did not know Gav earlier than that – I used to be like, I will exit and discover him on the town. He’s good. Really, I used to be going spherical asking all people, ‘Are you aware Gavin Henson? The place will he exit consuming afterwards?’ No one knew – however I did discover him.”
The Welsh energy couple moved in collectively the next yr, and in March 2007, Church introduced that she was anticipating their first little one. They welcomed a daughter, Ruby, later that yr, and their second little one, a son named Dexter, was born in January 2009.
Their relationship appeared to be flourishing, with Henson proposing to the singer on her twenty fourth birthday in February 2010, the identical month she landed a serious TV gig on BBC present Over The Rainbow. Nevertheless, simply six weeks later, the couple shocked followers as they introduced they have been splitting up after 5 years collectively.
Church and Henson confronted intense media consideration (Picture: undefined)
Church later revealed that the choice was mutual, explaining: “When he proposed, I used to be overjoyed. It was wonderful. I actually was going to marry Gav and spend the remainder of my life with him. However then he got here again from Norway, and he’d modified, and I would had time to suppose. We had each had a change of coronary heart – so we have been each of the identical thoughts.”
She additionally criticised the “insane” media intrusion she skilled earlier than and through her relationship with Henson, having alleged that her cellphone was hacked by the Information of The World, for which she later acquired an apology and substantial damages.
“The press intrusion was insane, there was all kinds of darkish stuff occurring,” she mentioned. “There have been tales within the papers on a regular basis and many issues have been blown up, misconstrued and made seedy – once they actually weren’t.
“There was numerous disgrace being thrown at me, with the press desperately making an attempt to make me a determine of sin and push this ‘fallen angel’ narrative. If I had let that disgrace in, or internalised it, my life may have gone in a really totally different means.”
At this time, Henson and Church keep relationship and co-parent Dexter. Each have discovered love once more, with the previous rugby star marrying his long-term associate Katie Wilson Mould in 2019 and Church tying the knot with musician Jonathan Powell in 2017, having requested for Henson’s blessing earlier than they started courting.
Previous controversies
Away from his relationship with Church, Henson sometimes made headlines for all of the mistaken causes throughout his profession, discovering himself in bother along with his golf equipment and even the regulation.
In 2007, Henson and three different males have been charged with disorderly conduct attributable to drunken behaviour on a prepare journey between London and Cardiff, just for the case to be dropped attributable to inadequate proof. Two years later in 2009, he additionally acquired a police warning for his behaviour throughout an evening out in Cardiff following Wales’ Six Nations victory over England.
Henson additionally landed himself in sizzling water after some consuming periods went too far, as he was sacked by Cardiff after enjoying simply eight video games for them, following his “inexcusable” and “inappropriate” drunken behaviour on a flight again from Glasgow in March 2012.
A yr later, a drunken remark he made to new Bathtub team-mate Carl Fearns resulted within the two-time Grand Slam winner being knocked out by the flanker throughout a workforce bonding night time, in an incident that was captured on CCTV.
Henson has just lately opened up about his previous behaviour, revealing that he has gained a greater understanding of himself after discovering the ‘chimp’ that had been controlling his thoughts, main him to depart his earlier unhealthy habits behind.
Henson was as soon as the golden boy of Welsh rugby (Picture: Richard Heathcote, Getty Pictures)
Having “battled for a very long time” along with his personal ideas, Henson was captivated by Professor Steve Peters’ mind-management ebook The Chimp Paradox, which defined how you can management the ‘chimp’, or “the voice which tells you to do belongings you perhaps should not.”
“I did not perceive the ideas I used to be having after video games the place I needed to exit and drink,” he confessed in an interview with MailOnline. “They have been 1,000,000 miles away from my core values and targets in rugby.
“Now, having learn the ebook, I perceive that for many of my rugby profession, the chimp was controlling me and operating my life greater than I used to be. If I would discovered the ebook whereas I used to be nonetheless enjoying rugby, I would 100 per cent have been a greater participant and perhaps I would not have made the errors I did.
“In social interactions, I most likely want a drink as a result of I am an introvert,” he continued. “If I’ve a drink, I turn into extra of an extrovert and the chimp has extra confidence! I might be good enjoyable on an evening out! However now I select not to enter these environments. I am not tee-total. Within the final yr, I’ve most likely had one good drink. There’s a spot in rugby for sharing a drink together with your team-mates.”
Henson is now the owner of The Fox pub (Picture: Mark Lewis)
New life as pub landlord
Whereas Henson has lower down on his personal alcohol consumption, lately he might be discovered pulling pints. He took over The Fox and Hounds pub in St Brides Main, Vale of Glamorgan, in 2019.
Following a complete refurbishment and restaurant improve, the previous Wales worldwide shortened the pub’s identify to The Fox and now runs the venue alongside his spouse Katie.
Discussing the enterprise with The Instances, Henson mentioned: “I used to be coming to the top of my profession, and it [the pub] had been sat right here for 18 months, two years. It was not good for the village, and I wanted one thing to do after rugby and to be busy, to not mourn rugby and get depressed, as they are saying everybody does.
“However watch out what you would like for as a result of that is so full-on. We need to really feel like we have achieved one thing with the pub. We’re perfectionists. We’re all in regards to the element.”
Henson – who is assumed to have a web value of round £800,000, having earned round £120,000 yearly through the peak of his profession – has additionally just lately laced up his rugby boots as soon as extra.
Final September, he made his return to the pitch along with his boyhood membership Pencoed and is now in his second season competing in League 2 West Central, within the fourth tier of Welsh rugby.
Talking to BBC Scrum V, Henson admitted he’s “loving” being again in rugby, saying: “I am 43 now, so a bit previous, as my spouse tells me. However I’ve missed it, I’ve missed the physicality of it, and being in a workforce atmosphere once more and making an attempt to win.
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“I am very aggressive, I like making an attempt to win, that is the primary factor. We now have group of boys. We’re aiming for promotion, so hopefully will probably be season and nice for the membership.
“I am enjoying 10, I wish to play 12 however I’m simply not fairly sufficiently big but. So I will nonetheless attempt to purpose to get there however 10 in the mean time.”
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