She is the ‘apple of his eye’ and might just be the one person capable of saving Marco Pierre White Junior from his life of drugs, sources close to his five-year-old daughter’s mother say.
After the 30-year-old ‘bad boy’ son of celebrity chef Marco Pierre White Senior appeared in court from prison on Wednesday, family sources of his lovechild expressed their disappointment.
The child and her stunning blonde single mother are still in touch with Marco junior and enjoy an idyllic life in the Cotswolds, where only a close circle of their friends know the identity of the girl’s father.
A source close to the mother, who remains friends with Marco Junior after their on-off relationship fizzled out, said ‘It’s a closely-guarded secret – she has never courted publicity’.
But following this week’s court case, at which drug addict Marco Jnr admitted a string of burglary offences – appearing by video link from Wandsworth Prison – the source added: ‘He’s actually a wonderful father.
‘His daughter is the one good thing in his life and we hope that his love for her will give him the strength to finally turn away from the destructive path he’s on.’
While Marco Jnr and the mother proudly share a child, they have always been careful never to be pictured in public together.
The former couple’s lifestyles are worlds apart from one another.
Pictured: Marco Pierre White Jr’s secret baby mama and their five-year-old daughter
The child and her stunning blonde single mother are still in touch with Marco junior and enjoy an idyllic life in the Cotswolds
Marco Pierre White Jr is seen with a bandaged arm, appearing to buy and then smoke drugs, from two men in West London
Heavily-tattooed Marco, 30, struggles with drug addiction and has been in and out of jail. Pictured in a mugshot
Their only bond is their daughter, who lives with her mum but is cherished by her dad.
While heavily-tattooed Marco, 30, struggles with drug addiction and has been in and out of jail, the mother in her late 20s, has a regular job, lives in a plush apartment and comes from a loving, supportive family.
Marco Jnr is estranged from his mother, Mati Conejero and his famous father, 63, has told how he never visited his son in prison but has forked out £1million stints in rehab for him.
The son of the youngest-ever chef to attain the coveted three Michelin stars, Marco Jr has secured his own space in the headlines because of his wild and rebellious streak.
The jailbird admits himself: ‘I’m an idiot!’
He previously said: ‘Some people don’t have a chance in life. I have had every opportunity and I have thrown them all away.’
Sadly becoming a father to his one and only child has failed to tame him.
But he is described as ‘fantastic’ dad who ‘loves his daughter dearly’ and is financially supportive, according to the young girl’s maternal family,
Social media pictures posted by the girl’s devoted mum never show images of her disgraced dad.
The con does not feature in any of the numerous happily family snaps showing the cute fair-haired youngster with her beaming mum and her aunt.
Fun-loving photos show her from baby to now schoolgirl during luxury foreign holidays and days out.
One shows her as a toddler sitting on her mum’s knee while holding Santa’s hand while another depicts the smiling child – on a presumed visit to Lapland – being pulled in a reindeer sleigh.
She is also pictured playing in the snow.
An eye-catching shot shows her on a gondola with her mother and another captures the pair striking a pose for the camera.
When she came into the world on the night of November 14 in 2019, at Bath’s Royal United Hospital – her delighted dad was the first to announce her birth.
Fun-loving photos show Marco’s daughter from baby to now schoolgirl during luxury foreign holidays and days out
Social media pictures posted by the girl’s devoted mum never show images of her disgraced dad
The son of the youngest ever cook to attain the coveted three Michelin stars, Marco Jr has secured his own space in the headlines. Father and son are pictured together
Marco Pierre White Jr is seen on the ‘Big Brother’ TV show in 2016
The girl – who inherited her famous family’s surname – weighed in at a healthy 7lbs 4oz.
The former Big Brother contestant, then aged 24, shared an adorable photo of himself as he cradled his new-born daughter.
Wearing a pair of hospital scrubs he was also pictured kissing the sleeping infant, who was swaddled in a cosy blanket.
There was no image of the baby’s mum, who had kept out of the public glare and has tried to remain in the background ever since.
On the birth certificate, which the Daily Mail has obtained, both parents are fully named with dad’s occupation stated as ‘actor’.
The girl was christened in the stars’ playground of Cannes in the South of France.
The granddaughter of renowned chef Marco Pierre is growing up quietly and contently away from the public gaze.
It is not known when Marco Jr and the child’s mother split up or how often dad sees his daughter when he is not detained in His Majesty’s Prisons.
But a source close to the child’s mum said: ‘Marco is a fantastic father who loves his daughter dearly.’
The family member said it was not ‘my position’ to say when and why the couple had split up – or even confirm they had – but said he was ‘supportive financially’ of his daughter.
Marco now lives in Weston-super-Mare, an hour’s drive away from the home the child shares with her mum.
Her maternal grandma, a mother of five, is just two miles away and often sees her daughter and grand daughter
After being released from prison last year following further offences, Marco vowed never to touch drugs again.
He also revealed he had converted to Islam to help him ‘stay clean’ and reform after years of drug abuse which began at the age of just 13.
In an exclusive interview with the two years ago, he said: ‘I have been in rehab 17 times and being in prison has made me realise that enough is enough.
‘I have been in rehab all over America and in the UK and the only thing that has cured me is being banged up in a cell for 23 hours a day.
‘I have realised how lucky I am and have been. I have seen all walks of life in prison and some people don’t have a chance in life. I have had every opportunity and I have thrown them all away.
‘I could have done anything I wanted to, but instead I did heroin and ended up in prison. I have been an idiot.’
Marco Pierre White Jr’s baby mama is pictured while swimming with their daughter
His father previously told of opting against visiting his son ion prison due to being ‘too recognisable’ – while also saying how he ‘blames the authorities’ as they didn’t ‘clamp down sooner’ on the serial offender’s behaviour.
Marco Pierre White Snr was the youngest ever cook to attain the coveted three Michelin stars and is credited as being a major influence on other leading British chefs.
His notorious son appeared on Big Brother, aged 21, but was kicked out after 11 days after romantically pursuing fellow housemate Laura Carter while in a relationship.
Marco and his older brother Luciano and younger sister Mirabelle grew up in London.
He is now estranged from his mother – his dad’s third wife Mati Conejero.
Speaking to the Mail in 2016, Mati said that her son she nicknamed Mini, had struggled to live in the shadow of his famous father.
She said: ‘Mini never had to answer for his actions. He was a beautiful boy who grew into a beautiful young man, but his life hasn’t been easy growing up in the shadow of somebody like Marco.’
Mati said she blamed her ex-husband and his fame and fortune for Marco Jnr’s ‘sense of entitlement’, explaining: ‘Marco was always too busy working to do much with them. Yet he got irritated with me if they then got bored and started playing up.’
‘Everything revolved around the restaurants. A simple, planned trip to the park would end up not happening because first we would go to meet Marco at his restaurant Frankie’s in Knightsbridge.
‘I suppose it’s not surprising Mini misbehaved so badly,’ she continued. ‘It set a pattern which continues to this day. In a way, it’s not really his fault that he doesn’t know how to behave properly and knows no social boundaries.’
‘He has grown up with a sense of entitlement. He is the son of somebody famous and therefore he is well-known and he is rich and can do what he likes.’
This unruly childhood only unravelled further when the family were forced to visit social services in Notting Hill when Marco Jr was a teenager.
Mati said: ‘Marco [Snr] sat there and everybody agreed we could tailor our lives and his career to fit in with the boy’s requirements. Even social services got sucked in by his charisma,’ Mati claimed.
‘This was about the time when we started divorce proceedings, when Marco did the crazy thing of sending Mini off to Thailand with a family friend. That is where he had his first tattoo done.
Marco Jr, who slammed his mother’s tell-all interview at the time, has been open about his childhood struggles, recalling in an emotional conversation in the Big Brother house how he was targeted at school because of his dad’s celebrity status.
In the past Marco has spent time living at his dad’s stunning country manor hotel – which is also the chef’s home – The Rudloe Arms in Corsham, near Bath.
Is is also one of the two addresses given on his daughter’s birth certificate five years ago – along with an address he once shared with his girlfriend at the time and the baby’s mother.
Marco Jnr this week admitted to a number of burglaries in a west London crime spree, including stealing £1,500 of Jellycat toys.
He raided an antiques shop on June 19 this year in Westminster, central London, Isleworth Crown Court heard. Marco Jr appeared via video link from HMP Wandsworth, wearing a grey prison tracksuit.
The ex-Celebrity Big Brother star pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage, but said he disputes the cost of the damage.
In yesterday’s court case, prosecutor Ravinder Johal said White wrecked four mounted crystals and the entrance door to the shop.
On June 12, he burgled an Italian deli store in Kensington called La Piccola, stealing a laptop, tablet, iPod, and a till tray.
Just three days later, he smashed his way into a house in Kensington and Chelsea, and stole two natural rock crystal formations, causing £7,775 worth of damage to the front door.
A month later, on July 21, he broke into another store on Barnes High Street, south-west London, stealing £1,500 of Jellycat toys.
Marco Jr (pictured with his father) this week admitted to a number of burglaries in a west London crime spree, including stealing £1,500 of Jellycat toys
Marco Pierre White Jr arrives at Swindon Magistrates Court in October last year
Marco Jr, of no fixed address, admitted four counts of burglary and one count of criminal damage.
He previously pleaded guilty to the three counts of burglary on June 15, June 12, and July 21, at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court, and those pleas were entered again today.
He denied, however, one count of robbery, and is accused of stealing 26 bottles of personal hygiene products from a beauty store in Kensington and Chelsea on May 25 this year, to a value of £1,331.
Graeme Logan, defending, said: ‘Marco disputes the £43,000 figure relating to criminal damage. The figure appears to be an amalgamation for property stolen and damage to the property.
‘That figure is disputed. I ask for seven days to submit that plea.
‘With the allegation of robbery on May 25, which Mr White denies, an alternative plea of theft will be offered.’
Judge Edward Connell said: ‘There will be a hearing for that robbery charge at Isleworth Crown Court on September 2 this year. If the Crown does not accept it, a trial will be set for March 16 next year.’