This year’s edition of the popular football match Soccer Aid, founded by Robbie Williams, will take place on Sunday.
Soccer Aid was founded in 2006 by the Take That star to bring countries together to raise money and awareness for children around the world so they can get the best possible start in life.
Soccer Aid, the world’s largest charity football match, has raised more than £90 million for global children’s charity UNICEF since its inception.
But who exactly is the event’s co-founder, Jonathan Wilkes, and how long has he known Robbie Williams?
Read on below for everything you need to know about the Soccer Aid co-founder.
Who is Jonathan Wilkes?
Who is Jonathan Wilkes, co-founder of Soccer Aid? A glimpse into the life of the TV presenter and singer, including ‘very close’ friendship with Robbie Williams (pictured together in 2004)
Jonathan, 45, is a TV presenter, actor and composer who presented Stars In Their Eyes and co-founded Soccer Aid with Robbie in 2006
Jonathan, 45, is a TV presenter, actor and composer who presented Stars In Their Eyes and co-founded Soccer Aid with Robbie in 2006.
Before finding fame as an actor and presenter, Jonathan could have been a professional footballer, having signed for Port Vale FC at the age of seven and played for Everton FC as a teenager.
However, he was not offered a professional contract at any of these clubs due to his apparent lack of desire to ‘eat, sleep and breathe football’.
In addition to acting and presenting, Jonathan also had success in the charts – after his single Just Another Day reached number 24 in Britain in 2001.
Despite its success upon release, the song was considered a failure by Virgin Records, who expected it to be a Top 10 hit.
How long has Jonathan Wilkes known Robbie Williams?
Jonathan explained their friendship, revealing that he and Robbie grew up in the same area and have been friends since they were children
Jonathan explained their friendship, revealing that he and Robbie grew up in the same area and have been friends since they were children.
Speak with Staffordshire life in 2013 he said: ‘I’m dead proud of him – he’s been my best friend all my life. Our mothers are best friends and we grew up together playing ‘am dram’.
He added that the pair were also housemates when Jonathan first moved to London.
‘I was 20, and in my third season at Blackpool, when a guy called Kevin Bishop approached me.
‘He was running the Royal Variety shows for the BBC and he was looking for a young presenter for the BBC Choice channel – now BBC3. He asked me to do it,” Jonny recalled.
‘I wanted to move on and said ‘yes’ to moving to London. My buddy, Rob, said, “Come live with me in my big country house.”
‘So I went to live with Robbie Williams in London and started my first TV job. That’s where I met my wife, Nikki, at the BBC.
‘I also started writing records, got a record deal with Virgin and got paid really well!’ he said.
The pair remain close friends to this day, with Jonathan noting that the duo don’t need time to pick up where they left off when they haven’t seen each other for a long time.
Speak with The mirrorhe said, “It doesn’t matter if we haven’t spoken in months, we’ll just go back to the old routine.”
How many times has Jonathan Wilkes played in Soccer Aid?
Jonathan Wilkes, Sammy Duder and Jose Pizarro attend the 2024 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at the Royal Festival Hall on May 12, 2024
As of the 2023 edition of Soccer Aid, Jonathan ranks fifth for most appearances at the event with six.
Last year’s match, staged at Manchester United’s home stadium, Old Trafford, was the most successful match ever, raising a record £14.6 million.
Other notable celebrities include singer and actor Bobby Brazier, Danny Dyer, Paddy McGuinness, Martin Compston, as well as comedians Maisie Adams, Lee Mack and Jason Manford.
Robbie – who has played in four Soccer Aid matches himself – will co-manage the England squad in their quest for victory against opposition World XI.
Does Jonathan Wilkes have a wife and children?
Jonathan met his wife Nikki Wheeler in 1999 while working for the BBC.
While working for BBC Choice (now BBC Three), Jonathan presented an interview show with his wife-to-be, who was part of the girl band Toutes les Filles.
After starting a relationship with each other, the couple tied the knot in 2004 and got married in a ceremony in Los Angeles.
The couple has two sons: Mickey, born in 2006, and Ralph, who the couple welcomed into the world in 2017.
You can watch all the action live at 6pm on ITV, ITVX and STV.