Mollie King and Stuart Broad make their Celebrity Gogglebox debut this week, but their relationship has been anything but smooth. The couple, who started dating in 2012, split less than a year later before rekindling their romance years later. They got engaged in 2021 and now share two daughters, but their journey has been marked by heartbreak and delays.
Initial Split and Reunion
Mollie, a singer from The Saturdays turned TV and radio star, and Stuart, a cricketer who retired in 2023, first dated in 2012. The relationship ended within a year due to demanding careers. Stuart wrote in his 2023 autobiography Broadly Speaking: "Typical of young professionals, we were all over the place. In early 2013, I flew off to India for some one-dayers and then on to New Zealand. Mollie went to film in Los Angeles, and despite really enjoying each other's company, being at opposite ends of the world didn't help us stay in touch." He added, "It is fair to say we were two people putting their careers first."
They rekindled their romance in 2019 after a make-or-break trip to Paris. Two years later, Stuart proposed. Mollie shared the news on Instagram with a photo of her diamond ring, captioning: "A thousand times yes! I still can't believe it, the most magical start to the new year! I can't wait to spend all my years with you @stuartbroad."
Engagement Almost Didn't Happen
Stuart revealed the proposal almost failed because someone was sitting on the bench where he planned to propose. He wrote: "I was like, ‘Aaargghh!’ I gave him the eyes to suggest he moved on, but after doing another loop of the park, he was still there. So I persuaded Mollie to go round once more. Next time, he’d gone." After the proposal, they walked up a hill to find Mollie's parents waiting to share the moment.
Children and Tragic Loss
Mollie gave birth to daughter Annabelle in 2022 and Liliana in January 2025. However, her father Stephen was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2022 and died in November 2022, just days after Annabelle's birth. Mollie told The Times: "It happened so quickly, out of nowhere. I was in the final stage of the pregnancy, so it was incredibly tough. I’m so grateful Dad was able to meet my daughter and see me in this phase of my life." She added, "I can’t bear to think about my wedding without Dad being there. Elements like walking down the aisle without him, I still struggle with. There needs to be a gap so I can process it all."
Stuart wrote in his autobiography: "Sadly, he did not have long to live, and we felt that he was hanging on for Annabella’s arrival. It was of great comfort to Mollie that, despite this horrible disease, Steve was able to hold Annabella in his arms. He died, surrounded by his girls, 11 days after she was born. It was an unbelievably emotional time for Mollie — having the incredible joy at the birth of our beautiful baby while at the same time dealing with the grief of the devastating loss of her dad. I really don’t know how she managed it."
Celebrity Gogglebox airs every Friday at 9pm on Channel 4.
