Danielle Lineker: Football Legend’s Ex-Wife and ‘Best Mate’
Gary Lineker may have remarried, however his bond with his second wife Danielle Lineker remains stronger than ever.
What happened between the couple to end the marriage but keep the love strong? And just how much younger than Gary is Danielle Lineker?
All About Danielle Lineker
Early Life
Born in 1979, Danielle is 41 years old. Her maiden surname is actually Bux and she originally comes from Cardiff in Wales.
Both of her parents are Welsh. However, Danielle Lineker’s grandfather was an Indian from an area of Bengal (which is now part of Pakistan), a heritage that Danielle was sadly bullied for as a child.
“[Kids] pick on anything that’s different – but when I was six or seven it was tough. I’d cry to my mum as I asked her why I was different.”
Thankfully, Ms Bux is now embracing her heritage, finding out more about her grandparents and visiting India for the first time.
Danielle was so inspired by the trip, she took part in an Indian-themed photoshoot:
“I really felt like a Bollywood star.”
This wasn’t Ms Bux’s first foray into modelling though…
Modelling Career
In 1999, Danielle Lineker won the Miss Hawaiin Tropic modelling contest in Las Vegas at just 17 years old! She didn’t even mean to enter the competition:
“It was my best friend that first entered me into a competition.”
Ms Bux has gone on to star on magazine covers from Hello and OK to Fabulous and Maxim.
Furthermore, Danielle has modelled for multiple big brands, most notably as a leading model for La Senza. Her best friend clearly made the right decision!
Danielle Lineker TV Appearances & Acting
The beauty then went on to appear in several TV shows, including Hell’s Kitchen in 2009.
And, in the same year, the Welsh model was a guest panellist on Loose Women in June and July.
Danielle Lineker made her acting debut on the stage in Calendar Girls in 2011 at the Bristol Hippodrome. In 2013, she starred alongside Emilia Fox in the BBC One drama Silent Witness.
Further, in the same year, the actress appeared in We Are the Freaks, a film that debut at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Ms Bux has since starred in several other TV dramas, most recently alongside Sarah Hyland in the 2019 comedy film The Wedding Year.
Gary and Danielle Lineker relationship
The pair married in 2009 in a fairy-tale wedding in Italy. Danielle Lineker is 19 years younger than Gary!
The Match of the Day presenter was married before Danielle, to Michelle Cockayne for 20 years. The couple divorced in 2006.
Gary Lineker and ex-wife Danielle Bux never had children together, something that has been cited by many (including Gary) as their reason to split amicably.
“They made a great couple but their different views on having children is what made them realise they had to split.”
While the couple unfortunately didn’t last and divorced in 2016, they have both since moved on to new relationships and are still very friendly.
Danielle Lineker’s Relationship Status Now
Gary has four children with first ex-wife Michelle.
Danielle has one child from a previous relationship with footballer Adam Willis (Ella, born in 2002). And now she has a baby (born in August 2017) with American lawyer boyfriend Nate Greenwald.
Gary Lineker was quick to express his delight at his ex-wife’s pregnancy soon after the announcement, writing on her annuncement post:
“Congratulations to you both x.”
In a highly unusual move, as Danielle Lineker awaited her baby’s birth in 2017, she actually moved back in with ex-husband Gary in London!
Ms Lineker has since married partner Nate Greenwald in secret in November 2019. The pair tied the knot at Nantucket Island in Massachusetts.
Danielle Lineker: Staying Friendly
Mr Lineker and his ex-wife are still often seen spending time together and with each other’s children.
While Gary lives in London and Danielle Lineker in Los Angeles, he says that the pair will stay at each other’s houses when visiting the other’s country.
“Danielle and I are best mates, we still speak three times a day, we text all the time, when she comes to London she stays with me, and when I go to LA I see her. It’s unusual, I know, but I get the best of both worlds.”
While it’s a shame the pair didn’t stay married, there’s been a happy ending for everyone involved. You rarely see that in the world of celebrities!
