He is the handsome and handsome English rugby player who is one of the bookies favorites to win Dancing on Ice.
But away from the rink, the 1.80m tall Ben Foden is better known for his love life – which led to him being branded a ‘love rat’ when he broke the heart of a girl band member.
The former Worcestershire schoolboy is set to make his debut on the ice this Sunday (23 January) and before he’s even skated a single step he’s one to watch – thanks to his super fit physique and his sporting background.
Dancing on Ice’s Ben Foden says co-star is ‘sexiest woman in the world’
While he may be well known to rugby union fans after years of playing for several big clubs and for England, he is better known to tabloid readers as the man who broke the heart of The Saturdays singer Una Healy .
He then married a glamorous American businesswoman just two weeks after meeting her.
And it’s this tangled love life that has now overshadowed his rugby career.
Separation from Una Healy
Ben, 36, split from Una in 2018 after six years of marriage and they have two young children.
When news of their split broke, there was shock as they were considered one of the most glamorous couples in showbiz.
But that shock was nothing compared to the outrage in 2019 when Ben announced he was getting married again – to a woman he’d only known for two weeks.
Una Healy and Ben Foden, in 2016 while still married
(Image: Tagesspiegel)
On the day his divorce from Una was finalized, Ben was married to American businesswoman Jackie Belanoff-Smith, aged 37, two weeks after they met in 2019.
The couple now live in New York with their 19-month-old daughter.
Back then, Ben defended his quickie marriage. He wrote on his Instagram page: “When someone like her comes into your life, why should I wait? “
He went on to describe his new bride as “beautiful inside and out, intelligent, charming, funny, generous, kind, gentle, energetic.”
Although he grew up in Cheshire, Ben attended the sixth form at Bromsgrove School and said he was very happy there and has fond memories of his time in the town.
He also cited one of his Bromsgrove teachers as the reason behind his successful rugby career.
Ben Foden and his Dancing on Ice partner Robin Johnstonel
(Image: Matt Frost/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
“I treated Una badly” – admits Ben
Ahead of his appearance on Dancing on Ice, Ben admitted his second marriage was mismanaged and apologized to Una.
Giving an interview in OK! magazine, Ben and Jackie said they hoped the skating show would change the public’s view of Ben as a love rat.
Ben said OK! Magazine: “Obviously what I did in relation to Una was very selfish. I think it came as a shock to her that I got married so quickly.
“Una and I haven’t been together in a year and a half but I think what made it so bad was it was such a big thing in the media and it was all over the place so I owed her an apology for it and should do it I probably let them know a little bit more about what was going on.”
The Dancing On Ice curse
Just like Strictly Come Dancing, the ice skating show has a “curse” as some contestants’ relationships end during the program.
Im ok! In an interview, Jackie said she wasn’t worried about it and said Ben wasn’t cheating on her.
Ben Foden with his second wife, Jackie Smith Foden
She said: “He never worried me once. I think you just know deep down when that could happen and it’s not a possibility with us, so I’m not worried.”
But then she issued a joking warning about what would happen if Ben was unfaithful.
“I’m looking forward to the day Ben really cheats on me because it would be hysterical to see the fire and rain pouring down on him… I’m just kidding,” she said.
But does she have anything to worry about? Speaking about his co-star Rachel Stevens earlier this week, Ben described her as “the sexiest woman alive”.
Ben’s new American wife
Ben and Jackie met early in his career while playing for Rugby United in New York when they were introduced by a mutual friend.
Not much is known about Jackie as her social media is very private.
She runs her own company called The Goddess Line, which sells cruelty-free fragrances, oils, soaps, lip balms, and yoga products, all handmade in small batches in New York City — where Jackie and Ben currently reside.
The ethical company was founded in 2001 and 10 percent of profits go to charity.
Jackie has also dabbled in acting, starring as an extra in the 2013 films And After All and At Home with Mystic, which was released in 2015.
Receive daily updates straight to your email inbox with our newsletter