Kirsty Gallacher’s awful street attack, divorce from England star and health diagnosis

Former Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Gallacher has found new love with ex-rugby player Darren Clayton after her divorce, whilst also battling a benign tumour diagnosis

She was an undisputed fan favourite throughout her tenure at Sky Sports, with numerous viewers regarding her as the channel’s leading figure.

Across two separate periods with the broadcaster, Kirsty Gallacher contributed to breaking some of the most significant sporting stories of the 21st century, having launched her presenting career in 1998. Her flourishing profession enabled her to secure positions fronting premier programmes on Sky, ITV and Channel 4, featuring on a reimagined Gladiators and Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway among others before returning to her original home in 2011.

Nevertheless, she departed Sky Sports permanently in 2018 and has dedicated much of the past eight years bringing her presenting abilities to radio, hosting programmes on Smooth Radio and Gold Radio, while also stepping back before the camera as a presenter on GB News.

Yet beyond the studio, it has been a busy period recently for Gallacher, who has turned 50 and discovered love once more following a difficult divorce and a health concern. From her personal relationships to a shocking attack in London, here’s her story now.

London attack

Gallacher has recently revealed she was the victim of an appalling street attack in London that saw he approached and kicked by a man as she left work.

Despite CCTV capturing the incident, the random attacker has never been caught, with Gallacher going public to appeal for more police to be placed on the streets of the capital.

“I was walking on the pavement and I noticed this guy all in black covered up, just walking at me, and I’m always vigilant, and he was just walking towards me, and I thought ‘this is not right,’ so I moved out of the way,” Gallacher told Sky News.

“Then he brushed past me, he turned around and he kicked me – like he was kicking a football – he kicked me in the middle of a street at about seven o’clock last night in front of people. I turned around and he scarpered.

“Women don’t report these crimes because ot enough is being done about it.

“My biggest sadness or anger was there was not enough of a police presence. And we’re in central London and I was looking everywhere, like I almost wanted to shout, ‘please help me!’

“I would love a bigger police presence on the street. And also I would like the police to take it seriously when women go ‘I’ve just been assaulted’ – even the most minor of assaults.”

Ex-rugby player boyfriend and split from husband

Gallacher is involved in a relationship with former rugby player Darren Clayton for the past two years, having been brought together by mutual acquaintances Gabby and Kenny Logan.

The couple met in Edinburgh in 2023, at a fundraising occasion commemorating rugby player Doddie Weir, with TV presenter Gabby – who formerly worked alongside Gallacher at Sky Sports – and ex-Scotland international Kenny acting as matchmakers. Gallacher has since disclosed that she connected with Clayton – who formerly played for Harlequins before transitioning into business – through their shared experience as single parents.

“We’re very happy, we both had similar stories – we are single parents and love playing golf,” she told The Sun. “He looks after me and tells me to have time off as I can be a workaholic.

“I’m usually running around like mad with the children at their sport, but my boyfriend encourages me to take a day off as I work on Saturdays doing my radio show.”

Last year, she informed the same publication that the pair had discussed marriage, as she confessed: “We do talk about getting married. Funnily, he’s much more into the idea of marriage than I am. I’m very much like: ‘Do we need that?’

“For him, it’s very important to actually have that union and [be able to] say it. And I said: ‘Well, we can say it. Do we have to do the marriage?’ I think an engagement is wonderfully romantic and that would do for me. That would be enough, because it’s the whole: ‘I want to be with you forever’.”

Gallacher was formerly married to another ex-rugby player, Paul Sampson, who earned three caps for England and played for clubs including Wasps, Bath and London Welsh.

Following their marriage in 2010 and welcoming two sons – Oscar and Jude – together, they parted ways in 2015, with the divorce leaving the TV presenter feeling “horrendously lonely” before she subsequently found love with Clayton. “When I got divorced, when I separated, obviously the kids would spend time with their father, and me. I was horrendously lonely,” she told Aimee Fuller’s Monday Mile podcast. “I was not in a good place, very sad. Because it was completely different and I actually don’t really love being on my own. I like being surrounded by family and noise.

“I like my peace now and I’ve grown to like that and enjoy it, probably purely because I’m so busy, so juxtaposed to the mania sometimes of the house, it’s quite nice to have just a minute to kind of breathe. But really in the beginning it was very hard to get used to no kids around or just you know a different sort of situation. So I was always pining to meet someone, wanting to have someone around.”

She added: “I had faith in meeting someone one day, I nearly lost faith and I’m very grateful that I met my bloke and I do think it gets more difficult later on.”

Throughout the years, Gallacher has previously been romantically connected with boxing champion Johnny Nelson and television presenter Paddy McGuinness.

Shock tumour diagnosis

While serving as a presenter on GB News, Gallacher experienced a health scare when a benign tumour was discovered in her ear, prompting her to resign from her position on the channel in December 2021.

“I was doing GB rehearsals, and I had my earpiece, but I couldn’t hear,” she later recounted. “I went to see a doctor, who said it was an emergency as it could be a brain tumour.

“I had to have an MRI, and doctors found out I had an acoustic neuroma [a tumour in the inner ear canal]. We have to keep an eye on it as I don’t want them to operate on it as it’s so close to the brain.”

In a statement on social media at the time, she wrote: “During the summer, I discovered I have a tumour in the inner canal of my right ear. Thankfully, it’s benign and not hugely detrimental to my normal life.

“However, the tumour has caused severe tinnitus, making it very difficult to sleep. Sadly, my 3am starts at GB News, compounded by sleep deprivation, are exacerbating my symptoms.

“I’ve made the tough decision to step back from my role on the Great British Breakfast while I concentrate on my health. GB News has been incredibly supportive of me, and I look forward to returning to the channel as soon as I can.

“As I adapt to managing my condition, I will continue with my less disruptive work commitments and maintain a healthy lifestyle and training so I can return to my normal routine quickly. Kirsty x.”

New career move

After almost three decades gracing our TV screens and airwaves, Gallacher recently disclosed that she was contemplating a significant career shift.

In a chat with OK! Magazine, she unveiled plans to revisit her initial passion and delve into the realm of fashion.

“I’m considering dipping my toes back into the fashion industry,” she stated. “I began at the London College of Fashion, and had aspirations to actually pursue a career as a fashion journalist.

“Now, I’m exploring projects in that area, too, so there could be a slight detour for me… something new and thrilling!”

Over the last year or so, however, she has returned to broadcasting as a presenter on Globe Radio.