Former England striker Emile Heskey has split from his wife Chantelle after more than 20 years together, with the footballer reportedly going Instagram official with Sky Sports Walk-on Girl Jade Slusarczyk.
Emile Heskey and Chantelle: End of an Era
Emile and Chantelle tied the knot in 2014 at the prestigious Rookery Hall in Cheshire, in a lavish ceremony attended by family, friends and a host of football celebrities. The very same luxury country hotel where David and Victoria Beckham announced their engagement back in 1998, reports the Daily Star.
In recent weeks, followers of the couple have been left "confused" as pictures emerged on social media showing Emile cosying up to a new woman. He was pictured alongside former Miss Blackpool Jade Slusarczyk in Instagram posts, according to the Manchester Evening News.
New Relationship with Jade Slusarczyk
TV presenter and Sky Sports Walk-on Girl Jade Slusarczyk has posted several snaps with Emile Heskey. Emile and Jade made their red carpet debut at Ricky Hatton's tribute event at Manchester's AO Arena in June, arriving hand-in-hand, and more recently shared snaps together on social media at a darts event. Jade has tagged Emile in several posts, with love heart emojis appearing between them on some uploads.
Jade's social media biography indicates she works as a Sky Sports Walk-on Girl across various sports including Snooker Shootout, Mosconi Cup Pool and Darts. The 40-year-old, a former Miss Blackpool, was previously in a high-profile relationship with snooker world champion Jimmy White, 63, dating since 2018.
Chantelle Confirms Divorce
Chantelle has since confirmed to the MEN that she is seeking a divorce from Emile, though she declined to elaborate further. The MEN reported it has been told their marriage ended last year and divorce proceedings are now in motion. A pal of Chantelle's told the MEN: "Their marriage has been over for a while, but not many people know, they have kept it very quiet. But now that Emile appears to have gone public with his new girlfriend it's been quite difficult for Chantelle as lots of people have been messaging her asking what's going on." The source suggested the couple had "grown apart" recently due to work commitments.
Emile Heskey's Football Career
The former striker won 62 England caps between 1999 and 2010, lining up alongside the likes of Michael Owen and David Beckham, and famously scored against Denmark at the 2002 World Cup. During a distinguished playing career, he was part of Liverpool's FA Cup-winning squad in 2001 and also represented Leicester City, Wigan Athletic and Birmingham in the top flight.
Since retiring from professional football in 2016, Emile has carved out a career as a TV pundit while also returning to his home city club in Leicester, taking on the role of head of women's football development at Leicester City Women.
Chantelle and Family Life
Emile first met Chantelle Tagoe when she was working as a waitress in her native Liverpool, aged just 18, while Emile had recently joined Liverpool as a 23 year old striker. Chantelle has previously revealed how she initially mistook Emile for a builder when they first crossed paths, having no idea he was a football star for the Reds. He got down on one knee in 2006, and the couple went on to tie the knot in a fairytale ceremony at Rookery Hall in Cheshire in 2014.
Chantelle quickly became a prominent figure on the Cheshire social scene, forging close friendships with many of the wives and girlfriends of fellow Premier League stars in the area. She threw herself into organising numerous charity events and themed parties, most notably her legendary annual Halloween bash in Alderley Edge. She later launched a bar, Parea, in Alderley Edge alongside business partners, before eventually heading back to her hometown of Liverpool to open a nightclub there too.
Chantelle, meanwhile, has kept herself busy running her bars in Liverpool, and in recent years has been a devoted supporter of the couple's two eldest children, who are now following in their father's footsteps in professional football. Reigan, 18, and Jaden, 20, both made their first team debuts for Manchester City together earlier this year, and are tipped for great things in the coming season, with Reigan already earning his first caps for England at youth level. Chantelle and Emile are also parents to daughters Milanna, 11, and Mendez, 9.
A request for comment has been sent to Heskey's representatives.
