Jamie Redknapp shared how dating pop star Louise Redknapp contributed to backlash as he reflected on the early days of his football career
Jamie Redknapp said dating Louise Redknapp contributed to him “getting a lot of stick” at the height of his football career. In 1991, the sportsman signed for Liverpool FC and made his debut in a UEFA Cup match that year aged just 18.
During his 11 years at the club, Jamie, 52, and several of his teammates were dubbed The Spice Boys because of their youth and high-profile lifestyles.
As part of this period, Liverpool won the Football League Cup (also known as the Coca-Cola Cup) in 1995 and it was around this time that Jamie met Louise, who was a member of Eternal.
Reflecting on his heyday, the father-of-two said he was determined to prove he had “the mental strength” to succeed after many doubted his abilities.
Jamie gained further attention at the time when press discovered he was dating singer Louise.
Speaking on the Making A Scene podcast, he reflected: “We won the Coca-Cola final which was the lead cup at the time. We had a very young team hence why we were called The Spice Boys.”
Avoiding naming his now ex-wife, he went on to explain to hosts David Walliams and Matt Lucas: “We got a lot of stick because I was dating a popstar, David James was modelling for Armani, John Barnes was just John Barnes, Jason McAteer [was there].”
Jamie and Louise, who share two sons, Charley, 21, and Beau, 17, were married for 20 years.
The former couple split in 2017, with the singer reportedly citing “unreasonable behaviour” in divorce proceedings at the time.
Fast forward several years and the pair have since moved on with new relationships.
Jamie was the first to do so, finding love with Swedish model Frida Andersson. The couple later married in 2021 while she was pregnant with their son Raphael, who is now four.
Before meeting Jamie, she was married to American hedge fund manager Jonathan Lourie, with whom she has four children.
Speaking recently on The Romesh Ranganathan Show, the football pundit made a rare admission about moving on from Louise and the impact it had on their children.
When it came to telling his eldest son that Frida was pregnant, he recalled: “It didn’t go down that well with Charley, I’ve got to be honest.
“I went to pick him up at school and tell him Frida was pregnant [and] it went down like a lead balloon, if I’m honest.”
He added: “I got it, I totally understood it because his world had been turned upside down — you’re married, everything feels straightforward, and then you meet someone else and you get married again.”
As for Louise, she began dating businessman Drew Michael in 2023. The mother-of-two regularly shares updates about their relationship on social media, including attending Glastonbury Festival together last year.
Jamie appears on Ant and Dec’s Limitless Win tonight at 8pm on ITV. For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website.