Jack Whitehall's life with fiancée and daughter after 'messing up' with famous ex — jack whitehall on wedding and family

jack whitehall is preparing to present the Brit Awards again this month and has been talking about his upcoming wedding to Roxy Horner, their young daughter Elsie and a past relationship he says he "messed up. " The comedian and actor combined the interview revelations with routine promotion for the BRITS, where he will soon return to the hosting stage.

Television credits and family appearances: Fresh Meat, Bad Education and Travels With My Father

The 37-year-old Londoner is known for playing JP in the Channel 4 comedy-drama Fresh Meat and Alfie Wickers in the Three sitcom Bad Education, which he co-created along with its cinematic follow-up, The Bad Education Movie. He also appeared regularly as a panellist on the comedy game show A League of Their Own. His father, Michael Whitehall, appears alongside him in the comedy documentary series Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father.

How he described messing up a chance to marry Gemma Chan

Jack previously said he had "messed up" his opportunity to marry his famous ex, Gemma Chan, ending their six-year relationship in 2017. In series four of Travels With My Father he told his mother Hilary: "I f***ed up my chance of that. I did. I could have got married but I messed it up. " Gemma Chan is now in a relationship with Dominic Cooper, who is described in context as the star of The Gold and Mamma Mia!.

Relationship with Roxy Horner, daughter Elsie and engagement timeline

Jack has been with Essex model Roxy Horner since 2020 and the couple announced their engagement in 2024. They announced the birth of their first child in September 2023 and now share a young daughter named Elsie. The pair moved in together during the Covid pandemic; Jack said lockdown "accelerates the relationship in a way, " noting that when restrictions ended they realised they had never gone to see a film together or been to a restaurant in England because they met in Australia.

Wedding plans framed as 'Downton Abbey meets EastEnders' and a family clash

Jack Whitehall told an audience on the Jonathan Ross Show that he describes his upcoming wedding as "Downton Abbey meets EastEnders" as he prepares to marry Roxy Horner. He said: "I'm very excited - it's going to be great. It's the first time our families are ever coming together. I've met her family, but my family have not met her family. " He sketched the divide as his own relatives being "a bunch of gilet wearing chinless toffs" and Roxy's family as "proper cockney, all West Ham fans, proper salt of the earth. " He added that Roxy's uncle Gary "makes Danny Dyer look like Jacob Rees-Mogg" and called the gathering a mash-up of the two TV worlds.

Brit Awards hosting return, a Harry Styles tease and domestic anecdotes

In a piece by Conor O'Brien timestamped 20: 21 GMT 19 Feb 2026 and updated 00: 09 GMT 20 Feb 2026, it was noted that Jack will take up hosting duties for the BRITS again in just a matter of days, marking the sixth time he has presented the ceremony. He said he was particularly excited about Harry Styles returning to the BRITS to perform the song "Aperture. "

He also joked about domestic life and family fashion plans, teasing his mother Hillary's intention to replicate Chappell Roan's Grammys look and describing a moment when she was babysitting Elsie and "scrolling and trying to purchase this see-through breast plate. " He recalled a recent awkward celebrity encounter after a trip to the Maldives, saying he often worries about bumping into people he jokes about on shows like the BRITS.

Early awkward moments with Roxy and her 'bridal era' appearance

The pair's romance did not begin like a storybook. Jack said their first date in Australia nearly collapsed when they arrived at a restaurant plastered with taxidermy ducks — a detail that upset Roxy because she is vegan and Jack had not known about her dietary choices beforehand. He described the scene as "something out of a sitcom. " Despite that start, the relationship endured: last month Roxy, 34, turned heads at a Burns Night event in London in a white gown and declared she was in her "bridal era. "