Meet the ‘Hampstead socialite’ who captured Mark Chapman’s heart, five years after his beloved wife died

MARK CHAPMAN and his younger girlfriend’s romance is moving fast.

The Match of the Day host, 51, appeared to be looking in estate agent’s windows in Altrincham, Greater Manchester with Claire Collier, 43, over the weekend.

Pals say he has found happiness with Claire, five years on from being widowed.

The pretty blonde regularly posts loved-up snaps of them together on social media as their romance continues to blossom.

In October last year, when Mark celebrated his birthday, she gushed over her man on Instagram, calling him “my one love”.

Posting an image of the couple together as they went on a country walk, she wrote: “Happy birthday to this one. My one love.

“So proud of all you do, the biggest heart, the kindest soul, the leader of our pack and not to mention devilishly handsome. I love you, happy 51.”

The estate agent, who works in Dubai, is twice-divorced, a mother of two, and was once linked with singer Dane Bowers.

Despite being based in Dubai — she makes regular UK trips for work and to see Mark in Manchester, where the BBC broadcaster is based.

Before she established her career, Claire worked at the Benham & Reeves agency in Hampstead, North London.

JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS

A ‘Hampstead socialite’ – she had an inner circle of celebrity friends.

This included drinking pals, radio DJ Chris Moyles and Jason Brown of boyband 5ive.

While she was a close pal of former Eastenders star Christopher Parker, appearing on several red carpet events together.

Claire also helped Premier League footballers find rental homes in North London.

Meet the woman who has captured Chappers’ heart.

Famous ties

Claire grew up in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire.

She soon moved to London, where she scored a job at Benham & Reeves in Hampstead, North London.

Thanks to the area’s wealthy clientele, she helped the rich and famous find homes.

This included sourcing rental homes for wealthy Premier League footballers.

Young, and in her early 20s, she frequented the bars and high-end eateries of Hampstead, Belsize Park, and Primrose Hill.

Her job and good looks attracted celebrity pals, and she became friends with many showbiz names.

A source told The Sun: “Claire was a hugely popular fun time girl among her set of friends.

“She loved meeting new people and living in Hampstead, and enjoyed letting her hair down in the bars there.

“Because of her good looks and outgoing personality she became a magnet for celebrities.

“She knew many famous people and was a real Hampstead socialite.”

One of her drinking pals was radio DJ Chris Moyles, who she would often meet up with in the pubs around Belsize Park, as well as 5ive boyband member Jason Brown.

Another famous friend was TV presenter Jayne Sharp, a former girlfriend of Chris Evans.

Often, Claire would find herself on the red carpet of events supporting famous friends.

That included former Eastenders star, Christopher Parker.

As he found fame as Spencer Moon on the BBC soap, as well as on Strictly Come Dancing in the noughties, Claire would join the actor at glitzy parties, including at Capital FM’s Rock On! Xmas Party in 2005.

However, she soon left London for pastures new.

Moving to Dubai

For over 15 years Claire has been working in the Middle East.

She initially worked for Benham & Reeves, and has over two decades of experience in international real estate.

This included running a Dubai property brokerage, managing a portfolio of investors based in East Africa and working with a US based private equity real estate fund.

She has since moved to the American company, Lion Real Estate Group – where she is Director of Capital Markets for the Middle East and Europe.

But while things have gone well in her professional life, she has been unlucky in love.

Claire has been married twice – most recently to ex-husband James for three years, before they split in 2019.

She also had a failed marriage with Dubai-based businessman Tomas Kristiansen Wallin.

Claire has two children, Freddie, 12, and Florence, 2, from those former relationships.

New love

Before she fell for Chapman, Claire was reported to have dated Another Level boyband star Dane Bowers.

A source revealed to the Mail in 2023: “Dane and Claire have been getting to know each other in recent weeks.

“They mix in similar circles and have bumped into each other on a few occasions.”

However, it’s new Match of the Day host Chapman she is now smitten with.

A source told us in early 2024: “It’s early days but Mark and Claire are in a good place and enjoying each other’s company.

“Mark’s focus has always been his children and work, so a relationship was unexpected.

“He and Claire are taking things slow and just seeing how it all plays out, but it’s clear to see they are really into each other.”

It is Chapman’s first romance since wife Sara, 44, died of cancer in 2020.

He had three children with Sara, who he was married to for 19 years.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk