Who is Sam Quek? Olympian's husband, parents and Celebrity MasterChef journey revealed

29 July 2020, 17:21

Sam Quek is competing on Celebrity MasterChef 2020
Sam Quek is competing on Celebrity MasterChef 2020. Picture: Getty

Sam Quek made a name for herself at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but how old is she and who is she married to?

Celebrity Masterchef has added Sam Quek to the 2020 contestant line up but why is she famous?

A Olympian, TV presenter and newspaper columnist, Sam is taking on cooking as her next big challenge going against contestants such as Gethin Jones and Matthew Pinsent.

Here’s everything you need to know about Sam including where she's from and her impressive career so far:

  1. Who is Sam Quek and how old is she?

    Samantha Ann Quek, MBE was born on born 18 October 1988 and is 31-years-old.

    The Celebrity MasterChef 2020 contestant rose to fame for winning a gold medal for Great Britain in field hockey at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

    See more: Gethin Jones facts: TV presenter's girlfriend, age, career and Celebrity MasterChef journey revealed

    She has presented a variety of TV shows including Rugby Union and sports for Channel 5, is a huge Liverpool FC fan and appeared as a contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! in 2016.

    Sam Quek at the National Television Awards in 2017
    Sam Quek at the National Television Awards in 2017. Picture: Getty
  2. Who is Sam Quek's husband?

    Sam Quek is married to millionaire property developer Tom Mairs from Liverpool and the pair have been together for seven years.

    Tom is the multi-millionaire and the youngest candidate to ever appear on TV show Secret Millionaire.

    See more: Matthew Pinsent facts: Olympic rower's wife, children, height and Celebrity MasterChef journey revealed

    Tom runs a huge property empire in the North West, providing student housing, which is so safe and secure that it won the CLASS accreditation by Liverpool City Council for the safety and quality of their properties, in 2010.

  3. What has Sam Quek achieved in her hockey career?

    Sam Quek started playing hockey at a very young age and started competing at under-12s matches.

    She won her first Great Britain international cap when she was just 19 and still at university, in a match against Argentina in 2007.

    Sam Quek of England battles with Dalila Mirabella of Italy during the Investec Hockey World League quarterfinal match in London, 2013.
    Sam Quek of England battles with Dalila Mirabella of Italy during the Investec Hockey World League quarterfinal match in London, 2013. Picture: Getty

    Quek was captain of the England team during the 2014 Champions Trophy in Argentina, and played every game of the tournament despite finding out later she had broken two ribs in the first match.

    She won silver for England at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and won gold at the European Championships in 2015.

    See more: MasterChef winners: Where are they now?

    Sam then went on to play for Team GB at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where teh field hockey team won all five of their matches at the group stages and went on to win the first ever gold medal for women's hockey at an Olympic Games.

    Sam Quek in action during the Pro Am event prior to the start of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club on September 18, 2019 in Virginia Water, United Kingdom.
    Sam Quek in action during the Pro Am event prior to the start of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club on September 18, 2019 in Virginia Water, United Kingdom. Picture: Getty

    She has since expanded her career to include TV presenting and newspaper columns and is a very keen golfer, often seen playing in Virginia Water.

    She recently posted a picture of herself on her Instagram playing a socially distanced around with the line-up of A League of Their Own, including Freddie Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp (above).

  4. How tall is Sam Quek?

    Sam is said to stand at 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) tall.

  5. Who are Sam Quek's parents and where is she from?

    Sam was born in Liverpool, to an English mother, Marilyn (née Higgins), and Singaporean father, Albert Quek.

    The family moved from Liverpool to West Derby when she was about a month old, and to the Wirral Peninsula when she was five.