Chris Evans (presenter) - Personal Life

Personal Life

Evans has a daughter, Jade (born 1986), by former fiancé Alison Ward. In 1998 after a long running dispute, the couple reached an out of court arrangement whereby Evans provided a home for his child and an allowance to Ward.

Evans married Carol McGiffin in 1991; but their 1994 split was not amicable and McGiffin has been scathing about Evans in newspaper articles in the years since; they divorced in 1998. During his time at BBC Radio 1 and Virgin, Evans had well publicised relationships with Kim Wilde, model Rachel Tatton-Brown (whose sister was a researcher on The Big Breakfast), assistant producer Suzi Aplin, Anthea Turner, Geri Halliwell, and Melanie Sykes. After meeting teenage pop star Billie Piper and after she proposed on his 35th birthday, the couple married in a £200 ceremony at The Little Church of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada on 6 May 2001; attended by six guests including best man Danny Baker. In September 2004, news stories circulated regarding a trial separation - Evans at the time had a stall at Camden Market, where he was found selling furniture and paintings from his London and Los Angeles homes, commenting: "I just want to get rid of it all, it's just a headache." In Spring 2005, it was confirmed that Evans and Piper would divorce, and, with Piper publicly stating that she would take no money from Evans, it is believed to have been an amicable split. Almost three years after they had separated, Evans and Piper finally divorced in May 2007, but have remained on good terms.

A fanatical golfer who plays with a handicap of 15, Evans met professional golfer, part-time model and columnist for Golf Punk magazine Natasha Shishmanian when they became golf partners in the All*Star Cup celebrity tournament in Newport - Evans gave his 17-year-old caddy at the event, Natalie Harrison, a £10,000 Russian Kristall Smolensk diamond he won for the quality of his play. Evans married Shishmanian in a London Register office on Saturday 11 August 2007, and held a reception in Faro, Portugal the following weekend, attended by ex-wife Piper. On 17 July 2008, the DJ announced that the couple were expecting their first baby together. Their son, Noah Nicholas Martin was born on 10 February 2009 at London's Portland Hospital.

In March 2008 after playing a round of golf with rockstar Meat Loaf, Evans admitted in his Radio 2 blog that he had taken "magic mushrooms" at the rock star's later concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

A fan of fast cars, and particularly Ferraris, Evans was banned from driving for 56 days in 2001 and fined £600 after admitting to a speeding charge at Staines Magistrates' Court after being stopped by Surrey Police when racing at 105 mph (169 km/h) on the A3 road in Esher in January 2001. In 2005 Evans crashed his silver 575M Maranello into a verge near his then Surrey home. On 18 May 2008, Evans attended RM Auctions/Sotheby's Ferrari auction in Maranello, Italy, and bought a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder (formerly owned by US actor James Coburn) for the world record price of 6.4 Million Euros (including fees, the highest price ever paid for a car at auction). In May 2010, he bought a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO, one of only thirty six 250 GTOs ever built, for £12 million. Reportedly he sold three Ferraris from his collection to pay for it.

In August 2002 Evans was a member of crew aboard the sailing yacht Nausicaa with six other people, when James Ward - landlord of the White Horse in Hascombe, Surrey, which was then Evans' local - drowned in an accident in the Solent. In September 2007, Evans and Shishmanian started helicopter lessons at Shoreham Airport, with Evans gaining his helicopter Private Pilots Licence in January 2008, and now owns a Robinson R44.

He was also the owner of Hascombe Court, a 172-acre (0.70 km2) estate in Godalming, Surrey, currently owned by Ron Dennis. Presenter Anthea Turner lives with her husband in a house formerly belonging to the estate.

Evans is related to Scottish Rugby international Max Evans and former Scottish Rugby international Thom Evans.

Evans is a supporter of the Labour Party, however he donated £100,000 to Ken Livingstone's Mayoral campaign as an independent in 2000.

Evans is an Ambassador for The Scout Association.

Evans is the proud owner of a boat called 'Ginger' moored in Cala D'or, Majorca.

He and Natasha announced on 27 November 2011 that they were expecting their second child. On 1 June 2012, Natasha gave birth to Eli Alfred Michael Evans. Chris announced the baby's birth live on air during his BBC Radio 2 Breakfast show by telephone.