ITV Royal Variety Performance host Bradley Walsh’s net worth, health struggles and secret star wife
Bradley Walsh[1] is a popular presenter on ITV[2] – but what do we know about his family life, multi-million-pound net worth and his secretly famous wife?
This year's Royal Variety Performance host[3] fronts several game shows for ITV[4], including Blankety Blank and, of course, The Chase. He's been on TV for years, making cameos in all sorts of programmes, including a recent acting gig in the BBC's Doctor Who[5].
Here The Mirror[6] takes a look into the telly fan-favourite's rapid rise to fame and fortune, as well as little-known information about his beloved wife Donna Derby, their home in Essex and his staggering net worth as a result of years in showbusiness.
Bradley Walsh is best known for presenting The Chase (
ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Eye-watering net worth
Bradley is one of the most familiar faces on telly, and while he’s made a career hosting game shows that help contestants win money, he’s also made a few million in the process. Over recent years, he’s seen his assets grow by £3.5 million, according to figures from his WingIt Productions firm, making Bradley the wealthiest solo TV host.
The 63-year-old is said to have a combined net worth of a vast £20 million, and the star is thought to have £12.5 million worth of assets He is believed to be earning more than Ant and Dec and Dermot O'Leary for his TV work. His company's net worth is reportedly around the £12.3 million mark, while he also earns money from his acting roles in shows like The Larkins.
Health struggles
Bradley previously opened up about his 'seriously bad' health condition as he candidly discussed his health woes. He detailed his struggles in a past interview with Eamonn Holmes.
He revealed he suffers with an eye condition called blepharitis – which causes swollen, itchy eyelids and often results in the sufferer's eyes being completely stuck together when they wake in the morning.
"People don’t realise I have seriously bad blepharitis," he explained to Eamonn. "I have to take one pill a day for it or I really struggle. I am going to need my eyes operated on at some point to sort it out. So many times, people have commented on how I look. But they don’t realise. If I take medication though, I'm fine."
Sharing an update on his health woes in 2020, Bradley said he felt 'lucky' after managing to get his cholesterol levels down after doctors warned him of the 'silent killer'. At the time, Bradley shared: "I was a time bomb. I was quite lucky in regards to the calcium test but my doctor said I produce too much cholesterol. It’s a silent killer. I thought, 'Oh crikey, I’m gonna be bang in trouble here if I don’t lose the weight and start dealing with this'."
Secretly famous wife
Bradley and wife Donna tied the knot in 1997 (
Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Bradley and Donna live with their son Barney (
David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)
Behind the glitz and glamour of his game shows, the Watford-born star lives a quiet life, tucked away in a corner of Essex with his wife Donna Derby and their son Barney. Donna, who is a choreographer and former professional dancer, once appeared in a music video for Robert Palmer's hit, Simply Irresistible.
She first met Bradley in 1992 and they tied the knot in 1997. And when he joined Coronation Street[7] in 2004, he said it was Donna who convinced him to take the leap. "She is the one who recognised what it could do for me even though it would mean being apart," he said. Bradley also has a 40-year-old daughter, Hayley, from a previous relationship and recently became a granddad when she welcomed her first child.
Sprawling family home in Essex
Bradley lives in a £2.5million barn conversion in Epping, Essex, and Bradley occasionally gives fans a glimpse into his luxury home. In an announcement about an award nomination on Instagram[8], Bradley showed fans a peak of his kitchen.
In the video, white walls and a glass railing could be seen near a mezzanine kitchen. The eatery appeared to feature a white island unit and black leather stools, along with chrome accessories and flowers.
In 2021, the TV presenter reportedly forked out nearly half a million on some land which has a golf club on one side and the M25 motorway on the other near his Epping mansion. He was said to have splashed out approximately £400,000 on a plot of land, estimated to span about 44 acres. It was unclear what the star was planning to do with the forestry but a bulldozer was spotted on the land, as well as a lorry unloading clay earth shortly after the purchase.
Follow Mirror Celebs onSnapchat,Instagram,Twitter,Facebook,YouTubeandThreads.[9][10][11][12][13][14]
I tried on Christmas jumpers in River Island, Primark, M&S and more but one retailer wins[15]
References
- ^ https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/bradley-walsh (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/itv (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/bradley-walsh (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ ITV (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Doctor Who (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/bradley-walsh (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Coronation Street (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Instagram (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Snapchat (story.snapchat.com)
- ^ Instagram (www.instagram.com)
- ^ Twitter (twitter.com)
- ^ Facebook (www.facebook.com)
- ^ YouTube (www.youtube.com)
- ^ Threads (www.threads.net)
- ^ I tried on Christmas jumpers in River Island, Primark, M&S and more but one retailer wins (www.mirror.co.uk)