‘He can be cute’: Ulrika Jonsson posts flirty message for former Gladiators boyfriend Hunter as he is eliminated from The Circle… 25 years after their ‘physical’ romance
Ulrika Jonsson sent a flirty message to former boyfriend James Crossley on Wednesday evening as she watched him take part in reality show The Circle.
The Swedish presenter, 53, enjoyed a brief, ‘physical’ romance with bodybuilder Crossley, who is six years her junior, while they both worked on the hugely popular Saturday night show Gladiators in 1996.
Crossley – best known to fans as musclebound Hunter – is now taking part in Channel 4’s innovative new reality show, and Ulrika ensured she tuned to watch his latest exploits on Wednesday evening.
Ulrika Jonsson sent a flirty message to former boyfriend James Crossley, AKA Gladiators star Hunter on Wednesday evening as she watched him take part in reality show The Circle
Getting involved: Crossley is taking part in Channel 4’s innovative new reality show, and Ulrika ensured she tuned to watch his latest exploits on Wednesday evening
Taking to Instagram, the thrice-married mother-of-four shared a screen shot of her former boyfriend in action alongside an affectionate message.
Captioning the image – a close up of Crossley’s face – she wrote: ‘It’s too late at night for me to watch but he can be cute.’
The presenter later shared a second image of the fitness nut, who was eliminated during Wednesday’s show – in which contestants take on fake identities and communicate via a social media app – after masquerading as fictional NHS nurse Gemma.
There he is: The presenter later shared images of the fitness nut, who was eliminated during Wednesday’s show, with Instagram followers on Wednesday evening
Ulrika enjoyed a brief fling with Crossley following her divorce from first husband, cameraman John Turnbull, after five-years of marriage.
The pair met while she co-hosted Gladiators alongside former Wimbledon footballer John Fashanu, with Crossley’s alter-ego Hunter being one of the athletes competing against members of the public in physical challenges.
The relationship was denied at the time but Ulrika eventually discussed their connection in her 2003 autobiography, Honest.
True grit: Crossley (left) played Hunter on ITV show Gladiators, which was presented by Ulrika
Ulrika’s lost loves: Through the ages
1990 – John Turnbull
Ulrika’s first marriage was to cameraman John, however things ended in tears after five years when she cheated on him. She blamed her actions on her ages, as she previously said: ‘I was so young. I didn’t know myself. I did some not very nice things. I was unfaithful, which is more than not nice’.
1996 – Hunter
Shortly after her divorce, Ulrika sought comfort in the arms of Gladiator’s star James Crossley, after meeting while she acted as host on the show. After their romance, she said: ‘Well, I guess I was infatuated with James. It was a physical thing. And what a nice man he turned out to be’ – as she referenced him selling stories about their romance to the papers.
1998 – Stan Collymore
Ulrika dated former footballer Stan for a year however their relationship was marred with controversy when she was a victim of domestic abuse.
2000 – Markus Kempen
German hotel boss Markus Kempen was her next love and the father of her daughter Bo, now 18. Just days after Bo was born in November 2000, the businessman told his girlfriend that he was leaving the UK to find work abroad – Ulrika hadn’t even taken their child home from the hospital by then.
2002 – Lance Gerrard-Wright
Husband number two Lance was supposed to be the prize for the female contestants on Mr Right, a 2002 TV dating show she presented. They married in 2003. She had their daughter Martha in 2004 and they separated in 2005.
2002 – Sven-Göran Eriksson
Ulrika and the football manager stunned the sport and showbiz world when she confirmed widely-publcised reports of an affair between the duo while he was dating Nancy Dell’Olio. As a result of the affair she was given a column in The News Of The World in 2003 where she would frequently comment on his private life. She was dropped in 2007 after he left as England manager.
2007 – Brian Monet
Ulrika and Brian tied the knot in 2008 and share one son, Malcolm, 10. They began their relationship in 2006. In 2014, Brian also adopted her daughter Bo, now 18, from the presenter’s relationship with German hotel boss Markus
Candid: Ulrika discussed her relationship with Crossley in 2003 autobiography Honest (the former couple are pictured together in 1996)
She said: ‘Well, I guess I was infatuated with James. It was a physical thing. And what a nice man he turned out to be!’
Ulrika confirmed her split from third husband, Brian Monet, after an 11-year marriage in 2019.
The presenter shares son Malcolm with Brian. The couple began their relationship in 2006, married in 2008, and Brian adopted Ulrika’s daughter Bo in 2014. Bo’s biological father is German hotel boss Markus Kempen.
Ulrika also has two other children, son Cameron from her marriage to Turnbull, and daughter Martha from her second marriage to Lance Gerrard-Wright.
‘Bikini girl’: Ulrika treated fans to a revealing snap on Thursday morning as she stripped down to her bikini for a sultry mirror selfie