Gregg Wallace: “I worry about what’ll happen to my wife when I’m gone”

Masterchef’s Gregg Wallace opens up about his fears over the 22-year age gap between him and his fourth wife Anne-marie

He showed off his softer side H last month when he revealed he was “desperate for a baby” with his fourth wife, Annemarie, and had turned to fertility treatment in a bid to make their dream come true.

It was a rare display of emotion for Masterchef host Gregg Wallace, but his sentimentality isn’t showing any signs of stopping as he tells Closer he’s growing increasingly concerned over one day leaving behind Anne-marie who, at 31 years old, is 22 years his junior.

Gregg, 53, says, “She’s much younger than me – I couldn’t have met her years ago, she would have been a child. I say I wish I could have met her 10 years ago, but it wouldn’t have worked.

“There is a 22-year age gap and I do feel much older than her. I often joke and say to her, ‘Did you have pictures of a bald greengrocer on your wall growing up?’ I’m planning my retirement and Anna [his name for Anne-marie] doesn’t want to talk about it, but I realise that my wife is going to live another 25 years after me, so I have to provide for her.

“I didn’t think about that initially. But now I worry about what’s going to happen to Anna when I’m gone. That has taken some more careful planning.”

Before shooting to fame on Masterchef, Gregg was a greengrocer in Covent Garden. But he has also been a baker, farmer and restaurateur.

TYING THE KNOT

He also has a chequered romantic history. Gregg’s first marriage lasted only six weeks, while his second to ex-wife Denise lasted five years, and they share Tom, 24, and Libby, 21. He then met his third wife, Heidi Brown, who was 17 years his junior, on Twitter. They married in 2011 but separated after a few months. He went on to meet Anne-marie – also on Twitter – in 2013.

They dated for three years before tying the knot at Hever Castle in Kent in August 2016, with Gregg quick to comment afterwards that he was aware “of people thinking I was just doing this willy-nilly”.

He says, “I did meet her [Anne-marie] on Twitter and I have no issues with that. Anne’s love has relaxed me and she’s shown me that ambition and drive are fine as long as they don’t cause worry and anxiety. She has taught me that you don’t need to spend lots of money to have a nice time, and to be confident that you can enjoy nice things – and you can cope with whatever comes your way. It’s pointless worrying about things.”

TERRIBLE ANXIETY

Clearly devoted to his wife, Gregg’s passion for her boiled over into violence three years ago when he was involved in a drunken brawl with a man who allegedly touched her on a night out.

At the time, witnesses said the victim was punched “at least five times”, and guests had to separate the pair as they rolled on the floor. The star has previously admitted how he felt inclined to “clump” members of the public who are rude to him.

To this day, Gregg admits he still has a therapist, who he started seeing

while he was taking part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2014.

He says, “I had two therapists while I was doing Strictly. I was suffering from such terrible anxiety that my face broke out in cold sores. I felt that Strictly was terrifyingly out of control and I didn’t have confidence in my partner Aliona [Vilani] to get me through it.”

A VALUED FRIEND

He adds, “My anxiety manifests itself by making me live in fear that something will go wrong. Unless you’ve suffered with anxiety, then you won’t understand. I don’t need to see a therapist at the moment, but I know my therapist is always at the other end of the phone when I need her. Sometimes we just meet for lunch or I have coffee with her because she did really help me.”

And if he does need support, Gregg turns to his co-host John Torode, who he’s been working with for over a decade.

He reveals, “I am very fortunate to have John in my life and we work very closely together. He has been there for all of my ups and downs. He has been a real crutch to me and he was my best man at the wedding.

“He really likes Anna. He only let me have one drink before I got married. We phone each other and we chat and we regularly text.”

Gregg’s one-man tour starts on 8 September, see Greggwallace.com

‘I feel much older – she doesn’t want to talk about retirement’