Olympic legend Dame Denise Lewis has confirmed her separation from her husband, music mogul Steve Finan, after 17 years of marriage. The 53-year-old gold medallist revealed on Tuesday that the pair quietly split two years ago, ending a long relationship once considered one of British sport’s most stable unions.
In a heartfelt statement shared on social media, Denise said she and Steve, 60, made the decision “after much thought and consideration.” She wrote that their choice was made “with mutual respect and care for one another,” adding that they remain “grateful for the time we shared and the wonderful children created.” The couple’s priority now, she said, is “maintaining a positive co-parenting relationship and focusing on the wellbeing of those we care about most.”
The couple, who share three sons — Ryan, 19, Kane, 16, and Troy, 7 — separated two years ago, with Steve moving out of the family home in Buckinghamshire. Denise is also mum to Lauryn, 22, from her previous relationship with Belgian sprinter Patrick Stevens.
Friends close to the pair described their breakup as “a sad but sensible decision,” with one source telling The Mail on Sunday: “They’re both lovely people, but over time they just drifted apart.”
Denise, who now serves as President of UK Athletics, notably stopped wearing her wedding ring during her BBC Olympic Games coverage in 2024 — a subtle signal that their marriage had quietly come to an end.
The couple first met in 2000 at the Brit Awards, when Steve was managing artists such as Neneh Cherry, Madness, and All Saints. They married in 2006 and celebrated 11 years together with a touching Instagram post from Denise calling Steve her “Man of Steel.”
Back in 2017, she thanked him for “loving a challenge” through both the good and tough times, calling him her rock. But by 2023, reports surfaced that Steve had moved out and was often seen near the couple’s former home, where he had once hosted visits from his then-client, the late singer Liam Payne.
Despite their separation, Denise has continued to speak with warmth about family life. Reflecting on welcoming her youngest son Troy at 46, she told Lorraine Kelly: “We thought we were past going for another. I thought I was entering menopause and, lo and behold, there he was!”
Known for her confidence and drive, Denise said that motherhood in her 40s gave her “a clearer head” and that she returned to work just two months after giving birth.
With an Olympic gold medal, a BBC pundit role, and now a new chapter of independence, Dame Denise Lewis remains one of Britain’s most admired figures — showing the same poise in personal challenges as she once did on the track.
