Everything you need to know about Ian Wright's family - including his happy marriage to Nancy Hallam

From the Arsenal legend's own childhood to his life as a dad

Ian Wright is not just one of England's best loved footballers, but he is one of the bubbliest and funny football pundits on the telly.

As he returns to our screens during the Euros, you might be wondering about Ian's childhood and family life - and he certainly has a story.

MORE: Who is Kate Humble's husband?

But what do we know about Ian's own family? Keep reading for everything you need to know about his childhood, marriages and own offspring...

What is there to know about Ian Wright's childhood?

Ian Wright was born in London in 1963 to Jamaican parents. His father was absent from a young age and so he and his two older brothers named Maurice and Nicky were brought up by their mother and stepfather.

In his autobiography, , Ian opened up about his difficult upbringing, revealing that his mother drank a lot while his stepfather was a "bully". As a result, Sydney Pigden, who was one of his teachers at his South London primary school, became a surrogate parent to young Ian, helping to keep him on the straight and narrow and encouraging his interest in football.

Is he married?

Ian Wright has been married twice. The former footballer wed his first wife, Deborah, in Mauritius in 1993. The pair met when they were children, but sadly things were not meant to be and they split in 2004 after nine years together. 

Ian later admitted that he had been unfaithful to Debbie, revealing in his memoir: "I got caught up in all of that and cheated on my first wife, Debbie, which destroyed my marriage. That was a really horrible period. If there's ever been a time in my life I wish I could change, that would be it."

The former Arsenal player tied the knot for the second time in 2011 to Nancy Hallam. During his time on in 2019, Ian revealed that Nancy had no idea who he was when they first met in a pub in Notting Hill as she "didn't know anything about football". He told his campmates: "She mugged me off so beautifully I knew she was the one."

How many children does he have?

Ian is a father of eight! Writing in his autobiography, he revealed: "I've got eight kids with four women. Two I married, two I didn't."

He shares youngest daughters, Lola and Roxanne with his current wife Nancy. With his ex Debbie, he has two more kids named Stacey and Bobbi.

Outside of his marriages, he has another son named Brett and a daughter named Coco, who he supports. He is also the father of professional footballers Bradley and Shaun Wright, although Shaun is adopted from his relationship with Sharon Philips.

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