Fairy tale romance: The heartwarming story of how MKR's Manu Feildel met his wife
Maybe it’s his French accent or his talent in the kitchen, but Manu Feildel is no stranger to women fawning over him.
But despite the popularity, when the My Kitchen Rules judge met his now-wife Clarissa Weerasena at Sydney’s Ivy night club in 2011, she reacted differently.
Speaking to The Australian Women’s Weekly in 2016, Clarissa revealed that she had no idea who the iconic chef was.
“He comes up to me and says, ‘Your friend says that you can cook better than me,’ and I said, ‘I probably can’,” she recounted. “I thought, who the hell are you?”
Speaking about the hilarious first encounter, Manu told TV WEEK his version of events. “We met in a lift going to a nightclub in Sydney. She didn’t know who I was.”
He then said: “We didn’t see each other for three months after that, then we caught up for a drink. I was nervous. Because three months had passed. We didn’t see each other for another three months, then had some lunch. The rest is history.”
But what sealed the deal was Clarissa’s knowledge in the kitchen. The chef is known to love sauce accompanying meals and after tasting one of her creations, he knew he had found the one.
“Clarissa ticked all the boxes – and that was the biggest box. I was like, thank God! She loves eating and she loves cooking – she’s perfect!” He told the Australian Women’s Weekly.
Madly in love, the Australia’s Got Talent judge asked Clarissa to marry him in 2013, and the couple then welcomed their daughter Charlee in 2015.
Before Clarissa, Manu was in a 12-year relationship with Ronnie Moreshead whom he shares a son Jonti with.
After being engaged for four long years, the couple tied the knot in 2018 in what Manu describes as a “beautiful intimate ceremony”.
He took to Instagram to share the happy news.
“I’ve often said don’t believe what you read in the press but now you hear it from the horses mouth, yes it’s true I am married!” he wrote.
“Last week I married the love of my life Clarissa in a beautiful intimate ceremony. We had a wonderful day surrounded by family and friends and lots of love and laughter.”
And they’re still going strong, as only recently, Manu shared a photo of the duo celebrating his 46th birthday.
“Happy B’day to me!!! 46 year young and going strong. Best wife, best son, best daughter, best life,” he gushed.