Stephen Hendry with his girlfriend Lauren Thundow. (Image: Getty)
The Masters final has arrived for snooker enthusiasts, with the prestigious tournament reaching its thrilling conclusion on Sunday. The event has witnessed the sport’s elite competitors battling it out for the £350,000 prize money. Six-time champion Stephen Hendry is well-versed in what it takes to triumph at this tournament, having claimed five straight titles between 1989 and 1993, followed by another in 1996.
Whilst Hendry understands the pressures of competing at the highest level, the Scottish legend has also encountered controversy away from the table. Like any sporting icon, their private affairs attract intense scrutiny as admirers seek insights into their favourite players’ lives. One widely reported aspect of his personal circumstances is his split from Mandy more than a decade ago, after nearly 20 years of marriage.
Hendry, 57, subsequently started a relationship with Lauren, a children’s entertainer and actress, who is two decades his junior.
Discussing this matter in his 2018 autobiography Me and the Table, Hendry disclosed the substantial financial settlement he encountered: “The three years between my leaving and the divorce itself are the most stressful of my life. The legal bill from the divorce comes to a hefty six-figure sum. Mandy will continue to live in the house in Scotland with the boys.
“People talk about mid-life crisis. But I met someone else and it knocked me for six. Driving back from a shopping trip, my wife Mandy asks me what’s wrong. She assumes it’s money-related. I tell her it isn’t. Then she tells me to stop the car, saying that we’re not going an inch further until I tell her what’s going on.
“So I do. I tell her that I have feelings for someone else. She is shocked and devastated. It’s the last thing she expected me to say. She knows me well enough to know that other women have never been my thing. We drive home in a fog of bewilderment, but we don’t tell the children. There are tears and conversations late into the evening. Mandy informs me she wants me to move out until we’ve sorted things.
“I stay with friends and family while Mandy and I attempt to patch up our marriage. We agree to give it another go. I’m riddled with guilt about the whole thing, but I’m also in love with someone else.”
He added: “I first met Lauren when she was selling merchandise after a Legends snooker exhibition. She’s attractive and we smile at each other, but I think nothing of it. Gradually, we start to say, “hi” and share a bit of small talk.
Stephen Hendry and his ex-wife Mandy (Image: Getty)
“I would never be one to go striding over to any woman who caught my eye – after all, I’m the person who got to know my wife’s parents before I plucked up the courage to talk to her. As time goes on, we chat more often. It’s becoming clear we have a connection. The Legends events travel to each venue with the same support staff. Over the next few months Lauren and I become friendly.
“After a while we realise we’re falling in love. That’s very unsettling. I am married to the woman I’ve been with for almost 30 years. We have two amazing boys and a great lifestyle.”
Hendry continued by saying he had no desire to cause pain to his wife, Mandy, but was unable to control his emotions. A 2013 break to Portugal was arranged to strengthen the family unit, but discussions about their marriage continued.
Following numerous conversations, the pair concluded that separation was the right decision, and the time had come to inform his sons, Blaine and Carter.
“This is the hardest thing I have ever done and will probably ever have to do,” revealed Hendry. “I try to be as gentle as possible, telling them I have feelings for someone else. But however you try to explain things to children, there is going to be upset and hurt. Carter is upset; Blaine becomes very quiet, just like I did when I found out about my parents splitting up. It’s horrible, and I feel like the worst person in the world.”
Hendry and Thundow have been together for nearly 12 years, with Hendry still involved in the snooker scene despite no longer playing at the top level.
His YouTube channel ‘Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips’ has garnered immense popularity, boasting close to half a million subscribers. Additionally, Hendry contributes his expertise as a pundit for the BBC.
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