Ollie Watkins’ wife Ellie toasted a ‘new beginning’ with her close friends at her farewell party as she shared photos on Instagram on Saturday.
Her twin sister Sofia Alderson gave the WAG a healthy dinner before moving to Saudi Arabia with her husband Ollie.
The couple, both 30, are moving to Riyadh with their two young children following the footballer’s transfer from Aston Villa to Al-Hilal for £51million.
Ellie returned to Britain for a few days to finalize moving arrangements and was surprised with a departure decision.
The mother-of-two enjoyed a candlelit dinner with her friends, prepared by a private chef, before tucking into a cake.
Earlier in the day, Ellie revealed that ‘things are coming together’ after previously breaking down in tears over the move.
Ollie Watkins’ wife Ellie toasted a ‘new beginning’ with her close friends at her farewell party as she shared photos on Instagram on Saturday
Her twin sister Sofia Alderson (second from left) gave the WAG a healthy dinner ahead of her move to Saudi Arabia with her husband Ollie
The mother-of-two enjoyed a candlelit dinner prepared by a private chef with her friends before tucking into a cake
Ellie shared a photo of herself in the car and wrote: ‘I’m still alive and busy organizing our new life in Riyadh. I feel excited now that everything is starting to come together.”
The WAG then treated herself to some pampering, as she also shared a photo of herself getting a pedicure, and joked: “First things first.”
The big move wasn’t without teething problems, however, as Ellie later admitted that her children Amara, five, and Marley, three, were unable to attend their new school as originally planned.
Alongside a video of her son zooming down a slide, Ellie shared: ‘And solo parenting. The kids didn’t go to school this week as originally planned, so it’s a bit of a juggle between keeping them occupied and everything else that needs to be done.”
Despite the setback, Ellie seemed content earlier this week as she shared sweet family snaps from their first few days in Saudi Arabia.
Ellie looked effortlessly chic in an off-white ensemble and matching Hermes Birkin bag as she smiled with Ollie at Al Hilal Saudi Club.
She shared a series of images of Ollie’s welcome to Al-Hilal and added the caption: ‘Next chapter’, receiving support from friends including her fellow WAGs.
Last week, Ellie admitted her “heart hurts” as she spoke about the bittersweet move in an emotional TikTok video.
She said: ‘Okay, that wasn’t on my bingo card for 2026. We’re in Riyadh, we arrived in Saudi Arabia last night and I think I’m still in shock to be honest, how life can change so quickly, but that’s the joys of football…
‘I’ve actually always said how lucky I think we are because we’ve been at Villa for six years, which in football terms is actually quite a long time…’
“We’ve had our kids there, we’ve had some pretty big life events, so it feels bittersweet to me. I loved my life there, I settled in so well and made the most wonderful friends…
The couple, both 30, have moved to Riyadh with their two young children following the footballer’s transfer from Aston Villa to Al-Hilal for £51million.
Earlier in the day, Ellie revealed that ‘things are coming together’ after previously breaking down in tears over the move
Tearfully, she added, “So I feel quite emotional putting that behind me. But I’m excited about the change of scenery, I think it’s going to be great for the kids and I think they’ll have the best time ever…
“Once we get settled and know what we’re doing, everything will be fine. We continue with our new life in Saudi Arabia, so exciting times…
‘I’m a bit nervous too, but I remember feeling that way when we moved to Birmingham, so hopefully you can follow my journey in Saudi Arabia.’
In an additional Instagram post, Ellie posted photos to document her favorite memories at Aston Villa.
She wrote: ‘Anyone who knows me knows how emotional I am, my heart aches as we end the most amazing six years at Villa.
‘We had our beautiful babies here, made lifelong friends and built a life here that I will always be so grateful for…’
‘It has been so special to see Ollie’s career development here. I’ve seen some of the highest highs and experienced all the lows too. I couldn’t be more proud of how much he has accomplished, but most of all the person he has remained through it all…
“I am so grateful for the wonderful people we have met along the way and the friendships we will take with us. It’s the end of our most amazing chapter. Now it’s time for a new adventure.’
