Melanie Sykes: her boyfriend, TV shows and magazine

We find out more about the TV presenter.

Melanie Sykes

by Emily Gilbert |
Updated on

She's currently taking part in the 16th series of Celebrity MasterChef, but how much do you know about broadcaster, presenter and model Melanie Sykes?

Melanie Sykes' age

Melanie was born on 7 August 1970, currently making her 51 years old.

Who is Melanie Sykes' boyfriend?

Melanie first married actor Daniel Caltagirone in 2001. They went on to have two sons, Roman born in 2002 and Valentino born in 2004. Melanie and Daniel sadly divorced in 2009.

She then married boyfriend Jack Cockings in May 2013 but they later got divorced when Mel received a common assault caution after an altercation with Jack.

Currently, Melanie is believed to be dating 24-year-old Riccardo Simionato. Mel often visits Riccardo in Venice where he lives and works as a gondolier.

Melanie Sykes' Boddingtons

Melanie was first known as the face of the Boddingtons Bitter advertisements in the mid-1990s. You can watch one of the adverts below to jog your memory...

Mel's presenting career

After reporting for The Big Breakast, Melanie began co-hosting the TV chat show Today with Des and Mel with Des O'Connor. It first began airing in 2002 before it was later axed in 2006.

She also went on to present shows such as Let's Do Lunch with Gino D'Acampo, The Vault, Celebrities Under Pressure and The Great Pottery Throw Down.

Mel has also previously been a guest panellist on Loose Women.

Melanie Sykes and Keith Lemon

After filming Through The Keyhole with Keith Lemon (aka Leigh Francis), Mel spoke about how she was left in tears by the experience on a podcast when she claimed Keith made offensive remarks towards her throughout the three-hour filming session.

She said: "I sat there for a three-hour record and he did all of that stuff to me verbally to entertain the live audience — because it was never going to make the edit of the show, because it was a family, Saturday night show, so he used me to entertain the audience.

It makes me want to cry right now because I was so caught in the headlights and wasn't expecting it."

I'm a Celebrity

In 2014, Melanie took part in the fourteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! She did really well and finished in third place, behind runner-up Jake Quickenden and winner Carl Fogarty.

Celebrity MasterChef

This year, Mel was announced as one of 20 celebrities taking part in Celebrity MasterChef 2021.

After she was crowned Star Baker in The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off in 2018, we've got high hopes she'll go far in the competition.

Melanie Sykes
©BBC

Frank magazine

Melanie is also the editor-in-chief of women’s magazine Frank, which describes itself 'for women who dare to be a force of nature in a sustainable world.'

Does Melanie Sykes have Instagram?

She does! Melanie posts regularly on her Instagram account.

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