TV presenter and pundit Dion Dublin has been a regular face on our TV screens for years. In his football heyday, the former Aston Villa and Manchester United striker was a prolific goalscorer and even managed to feature for England.
Dion Dublin has had a successful media career with regular appearances on BBC Sport, namely Football Focus, Final Score and Match of the Day. His move to property show Homes Under The Hammer in 2015 came with some surprise, but he has become a fan favorite in the hosting line-up alongside Martin Roberts and Martel Maxwell.
When he's not fucking his Dube, the former Celtic striker lives a peaceful life on Merseyside and enjoys a slow pace of life. But what else do we know about his life outside of television?
READ MORE: A look into Tommy Walsh's off-screen life, from weight loss to feud with Alan Titchmarsh
READ MORE: The Homes Under The Hammer host points out a major problem that's easy to miss when looking at real estate
The early life and career of Dion Dublin
Born in Leicester, Dion is the youngest of five siblings from Dublin, and his parents came to England from the West Indies as part of the Windrush generation. His late mother Rose worked as a community nurse, while father Eddie had the option to become a professional footballer.
Dion said: "At one point my dad had the choice of signing pro-forms for Fulham or going on tour. That was the choice. Turn professional or go on tour as a bassist with Rod Stewart. It was a pretty amazing experience ." to have a choice. He chose to tour with Rod Stewart. Music was close to his heart.
"We all play music. I play percussion, my mother played mandolin when she was alive and we have Clem who plays lead guitar. Eddie plays drums, Ash, my eldest brother is a bassist and Carmen used to play the keyboards.
"I think if I had started percussion earlier, I might have gone for it... Percussion is my passion when it comes to music, and it's something that comes straight from mom and dad."
Dion eventually opted for a career in football and joined Cambridge United, later signing for Manchester United and establishing himself as one of the Premier League's best strikers with Coventry City and Aston Villa.
He also had spells at Millwall, Leicester City and Celtic before ending his career at Norwich City. He was also capped four times for England and missed the 1998 World Cup squad against Les Ferdinand.
TV career after football retirement
Dion Dublin followed many of his ex-teammates and other footballers into science, with appearances on Sky Sports and BBC. He covered both domestic football and Champions League matches and later presented 606.
Dublin is consistently featured on Football Focus, Final Score, Match of the Day and provides co-commentary on many live FA Cup matches. Outside of the football experts, he reached the final of Celebrity MasterChef in 2021.
After appearing on TV and radio as a football pundit, Dion shocked many when he joined BBC's Homes Under the Hammer. He took part in the flagship show in 2015, which was then seen as a very strange move for the former Premier League striker.
However, he has established himself in the presenter line-up and become a fan favorite. He went viral on social media when a user put together clips of him, often pointing out the stairs leading to the property's bedrooms.
The quiet family life of Dublin with family
Dion married his wife Cheryl in 2017 and they share a daughter named Ruby Roseanne. The trio enjoy going on holiday together and Dion posts photos on Instagram of them eating out, hopping on planes and having healthy days out, such as visiting an alpaca farm and watching the Women's World Cup.
Dion is enjoying life in Merseyside after moving there with his wife Cheryl, who is from Wirral. They moved to be closer to her family.
He told the Liverpool ECHO how much he loves living in Merseyside: "We were uprooted here just over a year ago. It's a beautiful place, the people are wonderful, normal and polite. Nobody wants anything from you."
"Of course there is sometimes a photo or autograph, but that is part of it and no one is ever rude. I have a lot of time for it here and the city is beautiful. I have no problem with it and I absolutely love it."
Dublin played for Manchester United for two years and he admitted things could get tricky when the team plays Liverpool FC, the favorites of Cheryl's family. He jokingly said: "They're all Reds so we watch Liverpool vs Man United in separate rooms."
As well as football, Dublin has also developed a taste for local food in Merseyside. Commenting on his favorite foodie spot, he said: "One place I go often is the Seafood Shack. It's an excellent place. The fish there is amazing."
Heartache over the loss of an 'amazing' sister
Dion is incredibly close to his loved ones and devastatingly lost the 'heartbeat and backbone' of his family in July 2022.
He shared the news that his 'amazing sister Carmen' had sadly passed away by posting a photo of himself next to his late sibling and his three brothers, Eddie, Clem and Ash, with the message: 'Yesterday we passed away our amazing sister Carmen lost, the heartbeat and backbone of our family. Our hearts are truly broken, we will be lost without you."
Dion previously told the Mirror about the close bond he shares with his family and recalled fond memories of their time together.
Dion Dublin's musical invention and love of music
The former Coventry City and Aston Villa striker showed off his creative side as he unveiled his own musical instrument - the Dube. The instrument has four playable sides each producing its own unique sound and is available in four different sizes, as well as acoustic and electro-acoustic models.
The percussion instrument can be described as a cross between a djembe and a cajon. He previously told Vice: "The Dube is a real thing. A lot of people don't think it's because it looks like a wooden box - which it is - but it has turned into a very intimate, well-made percussion drum with a very serious sound and serious contribution to percussion and drumming.
"People should give it a try and find out. Once people realize it, it will start breaking down the doors of distribution companies. I will put my hand on my heart, I will continue until I make it a success." successful company."
De Dube now has its own website and Dion regularly gives demonstrations and markets the instrument.
