Christine Bleakley, a Northern Irish TV personality, is more than just soccer player Frank Lampard’s fiancee. For more than a decade, Bleakley, 36, has entertained British audiences on shows such as Dancing on Ice, The One Show, This Morning, and countless others. She’s worked for the BBC, ITV, radio, and has even done some voice work on animated films.
Bleakley has been dating Lampard since 2009. In 2011, they announced their engagement, although they have not set a date for their wedding yet, according to Mirror UK.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. She Has Not Set a Date for Her Wedding
Bleakley (left) with fiance Frank Lampard at the National Television Awards in 2011. (Getty)
With Lampard’s impending move to New York FC in July, Bleakley’s engagement with the soccer player is on “wedding standby,” according to Mirror UK.
Bleakley told Mirror that there wasn’t a wedding date because things were up in the air:
“I’ve been quoted as saying all manner of things, like I’m handing out CVs in America. Well, I’m not. I’m not moving there. Frank is slightly up in the air so we don’t know when he is heading off, so we’re on standby a little bit. Once we know what’s happening, we can make it happen quite quickly.”
Previously, in 2013, Bleakley and Lampard called off their wedding temporarily while the soccer player figured out what club he would move to after ending his 13-year career with Chelsea. They had planned to get married in the summer.
Christine is currently under contract at Britain’s ITV. Her new documentary series, Wild Ireland, premieres on April 13.
2. She’s Been Engaged Before
(Getty)
Throughout her career, Bleakley has been in several high-profile relationships. She dated Belfast Giants hockey star Curtis Bowen, becoming “Belfast’s It Girl” until the couple’s break-up in 2003.
According to Daily Mail, Todd Kelman, Bowen’s then teammate and now the club’s general manager, said: “I don’t think Christine would ever have been satisfied with success in Northern Ireland only.”
In 2004, Bleakley became engaged to Irish businessman and eligible bachelor Christian Stokes. She was quoted as saying about her engagement, “This time it’s for real – it’s a more mature love.” They split in 2006.
3. She Competed in a Celebrity Dancing Competition
Bleakley, no stranger to reality TV shows, was a contestant in the sixth series of the celebrity dancing competition, Strictly Come Dancing, in 2008. She teamed up with English dancer Matthew Cutler. They were eliminated in Week 11, almost reaching finals.
Among the many entries in Bleakley’s CV, one of the strangest might be ITV’s interesting twist on the reality competition TV show: celebrities on ice! She became the host of Dancing on Ice in 2012.
Celebrities teamed up with professional figure skaters to compete against each other in the rink in front of a live audience and a panel of judges.
4. She Was Named “Top TV Host” by Cosmo in 2010
Bleakley at the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards 2010. (Getty)
In 2010, Bleakley was named the Top TV Host at the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards. She won despite the criticism she faced for failed morning show, Daybreak, which took a nose dive during her one-year tenure as co-host with Adrian Chiles. They hosts were quickly replaces in 2012.
She told Express UK in the days prior to being replaced on the show, “We’re having a great time and it’s unfortunate other people don’t quite believe in us yet. But it’s a tough sort of job and we always knew it was going to be and that’s not a shock to us at all. Any wee show has its teething problems and that’s kind of how we see it.”
5. She Takes Part in Lots of Charity Events
Bleakley with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pose for Sport Relief in 2010. (Getty)
Bleakley is well-known for her charity in Britain. As recently as February, she donated clothes to a South West London charity shop.
In the past, she’s taken part or hosted charity events such as the CineMagic Children’s Film Festival, Sport Relief, Cancer Research UK 5km run, and Sainsbury’s Active Kids. Bleakley has also hoted the Text Santa telethon since 2011.
She is a member of The Prince’s Trust, Prince Charles’ charity that supports Britain’s youth.