Stephen Hendry ‘shocked’ wife when he confessed love for younger woman | Other | Sport
Stephen Hendry once left his former wife heartbroken after confessing that he had developed feelings for someone 19 years his junior. The seven-time world snooker champion now works as a BBC pundit.
The snooker world witnessed a historic moment on Sunday when one of its most gifted players, Jack Lisowski, finally conquered his ranking title curse by claiming victory at the Northern Ireland Open. Lisowski defeated close friend Judd Trump in the final to secure the £100,000 prize and become the tenth champion of the tournament since it achieved ranking status in 2016. Despite Hendry’s remarkable achievements across the WST circuit, he never managed to triumph in Belfast.
Hendry boasts 18 Triple Crown titles and in his 2018 memoir Me and The Table, he chronicles how he broke the devastating news to his stunned wife of 19 years that their marriage was over. The Scottish cueist first encountered former spouse Amanda Heart at Pontins aged just 16, tying the knot in 1995.
The pair welcomed two sons but parted ways in 2014. Hendry penned: “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. I know I can’t be this way. I couldn’t live with the guilt. Besides, the feelings I have for Lauren aren’t going to just disappear. They’re too strong, and she feels the same way.
“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.”
Hendry subsequently discovered romance with partner Lauren Thundow, a children’s performer and actress. The pair initially encountered each other when Hendry was 45 whilst she was 26 years of age.
“I first met Lauren when she was selling merchandise after a Legends snooker exhibition,” he revealed in the publication. “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. 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.”
Hendry stepped away from snooker initially in 2012 and following a short comeback he put down his cue permanently in 2024. He now juggles his commentary duties for broadcasters including the BBC alongside a podcast and his YouTube channel, Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips.
