Dion Dublin is one of the main stars on Homes under the Hammer (Image: PA )
Dion Dublin, star of , is one of the most recognisable faces on television, thanks to his role on the popular renovation show and his illustrious football career. The 54 year old presenter and pundit has had a diverse career in both football and TV, from playing for to appearing on Celebrity MasterChef and hosting the beloved home renovation show. However, he tends to keep his private life under wraps. The Leicester-born star is also a father and husband, occasionally offering glimpses into his family life via social media.
In 2017, Dion married his wife Cheryl, and they have a delightful three year old daughter named Ruby Roseanne. The family enjoys holidaying together, with Dion sharing photos on of them dining out, jetting off on planes, and enjoying wholesome days out, such as visiting an alpaca farm and watching the Women’s World Cup. In 2018, Dion offered a rare peek into his personal life during an interview with the Mirror, revealing how he likes to spend his weekends with Cheryl. “If the weather’s right then I’d always stay in the UK. I love getting away with my wife and dog,” he shared, adding that his favourite Sunday breakfast is a full English, reports .
Homes Under The Hammer’s Dion Dublin is happily married to wife Cheryl at Ladies Day (Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)
“My wife’s a better cook than me by a million miles. She does most of the cooking as I’m out at work, and always makes sure I’m fed and watered,” he admitted.
Dion faced a heartbreaking loss when the ‘heartbeat and backbone’ of his family, his beloved sister Carmen, tragically passed away in July 2022. Mourning her death, he shared an emotional tribute on social media featuring a photo of himself with Carmen and their brothers Eddie, Clem, and Ash, captioned: “Yesterday we lost our amazing sister Carmen, the heartbeat and backbone to our family. Our hearts are truly broken, we will be lost without you.”
In the previous year, Dion opened up to the Mirror about the strong ties he has with his family, recalling precious moments they’ve spent together. As the youngest of five, Dion’s heritage is rooted in the Windrush generation, with his parents emigrating from the West Indies to England.
Dion is a firm favourite on BBC (Image: BBC/Lion Television Scotland/Ellis O’Brien)
His late mum, Rose, served her community as a district nurse, while his dad, Eddie, now in his 80s, had been faced with a life-changing decision during his youth.
Reflecting on that pivotal moment, Dion recounted in August 2021 how his father chose between pursuing a professional football career with Fulham or embracing his love for music. “At one point, my dad had a choice whether to sign pro-forms for Fulham or go on tour,” he elaborated.
“That was the choice. Go professional or go on tour as a bass player with Rod Stewart. It was a pretty amazing choice to have. He chose to go on tour with Rod Stewart. Music was closer to his heart. He still plays now. He’s 82 and he’s still playing bass in a reggae band.”
The Celebrity Masterchef star elaborated: “We all play music. I play percussion, my mum [Rose], when she was alive, played the mandolin and we’ve got Clem who plays lead guitar. Eddie plays drums, Ash, my eldest brother is a bass player and Carmen used to play the keyboards. I think if I’d taken up percussion earlier I might have gone for it… Percussion is my passion when it comes to music, and it’s something that’s come straight down from Mum and Dad.”
Before becoming a familiar face on TV, Dion had a successful career in the Premiership, playing for , Coventry City and Aston Villa. After hanging up his boots, Dion joined the presenting team on Homes Under the Hammer in 2015 and has since regularly worked as a pundit for Football Focus, Match of the Day and other Sport programmes.