Stuart Broad is an English cricket legend. Renowned for his blistering pace, extraordinary career span and ability to deliver game-changing performances, the 39-year-old will surely go down as one of cricket’s greatest bowlers. Yet whilst Broad’s achievements on the field have attracted global attention, his private life has frequently proved equally fascinating. His romance with The Saturdays’ Mollie King drew considerable public interest, as did his foray into running a pub.
Away from the spotlight, there has also been upheaval, loss and emotional pain. Here, Express Sport looks beyond the cricket ground to examine the triumphs and challenges that have shaped Broad’s life away from the game.
‘Split’ with Mollie King
Broad started dating King in 2012, but they parted ways within 12 months. The pair subsequently reunited, got engaged and are now parents to two children – though their relationship almost failed to take off.
Broad disclosed that his punishing cricket commitments, alongside King’s hectic schedule, created significant difficulties for their relationship. “Typical of young professionals, we were all over the place,” he wrote in his 2023 autobiography, Broadly Speaking.
“In early 2013 I flew off to India for some one-dayers and then on to New Zealand. Mollie went to film in Los Angeles, and despite really enjoying each other’s company, being at opposite ends of the world didn’t help us stay in touch.
“It is fair to say we were two people putting their careers first at that stage in our lives. I would never have guessed how big an impact she would have later on mine.”
In 2019, the couple rekindled their romance – and a pivotal trip to Paris proved to be the turning point that brought them back together. They became engaged two years later.
Marking the occasion, Mollie posted photographs of the pair on Instagram, displaying her sparkling diamond engagement ring. She wrote: “A thousand times yes! I still can’t believe it, the most magical start to the new year! I can’t wait to spend all my years with you @stuartbroad.”
The couple welcomed their first daughter, Annabelle, in 2022, followed by their second daughter, Liliana, who arrived in January 2025.
Family tragedy
The Broad family suffered a devastating loss in 2010 when Stuart’s stepmother, Miche, took her own life. She had recently received a diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease, a debilitating condition that damages the nervous system.
Just a day before her death, the family had gathered for a barbecue, where Stuart remembered her appearing “happy and peaceful”, noting “she kept scrawling jokes and comments to amuse us.”
The family had no idea that Miche was using the barbecue as a final farewell to loved ones, before overdosing. Speaking about his stepmother’s suicide, Stuart said: “It was a huge shock to discover that the real reason she seemed at peace was that she was about to take her own life. But I am comforted by the fact that she died on her terms because she didn’t want to suffer any longer.”
Pub fire
In 2016, Broad and fellow cricketer Harry Gurney established The Cat and Wickets Pub company. Operating across the East Midlands, the firm has owned several establishments, including The Tap and Run in Upper Broughton, Nottinghamshire, which was destroyed in 2022 following an electrical fire.
Thankfully, nobody was injured as the blaze broke out overnight, though the structure was gutted. It reopened 12 months later, following a £1.3million rebuild, with Broad and Gurney jokingly describing it as the pub’s “second innings.”
They also run The Griffin Inn in Swithland, Leicestershire and The Long Hop in Burton upon Trent.