Tony Bellew’s parents had opposing views on boxing career as ‘mum said to give up’ Fri 24 November 2023 08:17 Helen Williams
Daniel Foster Touching down in New South Wales, Australia, Tony Bellew made his I’m A Celebrity debut on Thursday night’s episode. Introduced by Declan Donnelly as a man ready to “rumble in the jungle,” the former professional boxer entered the show alongside jockey Frankie Dettori. Despite having huge success as a boxer, Tony’s parents didn’t see eye to eye on him taking part in the sport.
Over the course of his career, Tony Bellew has shared some key details about his childhood that shaped the man he is today. From his mother facing racial abuse to his father’s stint in prison, the Liverpudlian has laid it all out in various interviews over the years. He had a pivotal moment in life after hearing one piece of advice from his dad.
Tony Bellew’s parents
Former professional boxer and I’m A Celebrity star Tony Bellew was born in Toxteth, Liverpool on November 30, 1982.
He grew up in a single-parent household with his mother, Gail, raising him. Tony’s dad left when he was 10 years old, reports Nottingham Post.
Taking to Instagram in 2020, Tony shared a snap of his mum in her younger years. Many people took to the comments section to say how similar he and his mother look.
View this post on Instagram
I’m A Celebrity star’s huge loss
As Tony joins the I’m A Celebrity camp this November, he is grieving a huge family loss back in the UK.
The ITV star’s grandmother passed away the day that he signed the I’m A Celebrity contract.
Tony described his nan as being like a “second mother” to him in an Instagram post.
She passed away at the age of 97 and, per Tony’s post, was an “amazing mother” and the “boss of the house.”
View this post on Instagram
Tony’s parents on his boxing career
Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2014, Tony said that his mother didn’t think he should box.
He explained: “I remember my own mother saying, ‘Son, give up this boxing game. You’re not the kind of person who does it’. When your own mother doesn’t think you should box, it doesn’t look good. No mother wants to see their son punched in the face…”
He added that his father was supportive of his fighting career: “…but I’ve got a dad who loves me just as much and he always believed I would be world champion.”
In an interview with Steve Bartlett on A Diary Of A CEO, Tony explained that his father went to prison twice.
Despite agreeing with his dad’s actions that landed him in jail, Tony shared a piece of advice he received during a prison visit that stayed with him for life.
He told Steve of a pivotal moment when his dad said: “Son, don’t ever come here, because you see this place, it’s the house of failure. Everyone in here has failed. There’s no winners in here, there’s no great people in here. If you’re in here, you’ve failed.”
