Inside Joe Marler’s wife’s secret struggle after saving rugby legend’s life & why she could finally have her moment
HE’S been a hugely important player on The Celebrity Traitors, as he was during his rugby union career, but Joe Marler’s cocky off-field antics have crept into the BBC show at times.
While viewers have been shocked by what they’ve seen, there’s one person who’s seen it all before – his long-suffering wife, Daisy. Here we reveal why this could finally be her moment in the spotlight.
Joe Marler’s wife, Daisy, has seen him through his bad behaviour and mental health strugglesCredit: Instagram / Joe Marler
Joe made the final of The Traitors but was booted out at the last minuteCredit: BBC
Throughout the course of their eight-year marriage, Daisy has always stood by Joe – through several off-field misdemeanours and his self-confessed “bully” behaviour.
Now, insiders tell us why Daisy will continue to remain faithful to him amid his newfound TV fame and the sacrifices she’s made along the way – with Joe admitting he “wouldn’t be in this world” without his devoted wife.
They met when they were just 14 at school, and he instantly knew she was the one, finally marrying in 2017. He described her as his “everything” and an “incredible” person in a recent interview.
The insider told us: “Daisy has known Joe since they were kids, so she understands him like no one else.
“It was clear from very early on that she would be supporting him and his career.
“She quickly became the glue that held the family together.
Daisy has known Joe since they were kids so understands him like no one else.
“Daisy juggles the kids with Joe’s ego and what he’s doing.
“She has put up with a lot, but she is the first person to tell Joe when he has messed up.”
Daisy waved goodbye to a potentially successful career as a WAG during his rugby career, preferring to remain in the background, looking after their four kids, Pixie, Maggie, Felix, and Jasper.
But after Joe’s successful stint on Celebrity Traitors, could this be Daisy’s time to focus on her own career?
She has always been private on social media, but she launched a family Instagram account last year, and is said to be “torn” about her next move following his retirement from the sport last year.
The source added: “Last year she launched her family’s Instagram account, and with Joe’s podcast, they have definitely started sharing more of their life.
“They have enjoyed a few freebies off the back of it, but she’s not planning to become an influencer anytime soon.
“There has definitely been a bit of soul searching recently about what she really wants from her career, especially since Joe retired.
“She’s torn about her future.”
Joe was a one-club man throughout his 15-year career, making nearly 300 appearances for Harlequins, and Daisy has shown similar loyalty to Joe.
Throughout the course of their eight-year marriage, Daisy has always stood by JoeCredit: Instagram / @joemarler17
Joe has spoken out about his behaviour on the pitch in the pastCredit: The Times
Daisy juggles the kids with Joe’s ego, our insider revealedCredit: Paul Hackett – The Sunday Times
But Daisy hasn’t been afraid to call Joe out on his bad behaviour.
Marler previously admitted he built up a “fake tough guy persona” during his playing days, and he recently confessed to being a “bully” off the field.
Speaking on Jamie Laing‘s Great Company podcast, he explained: “In that environment, it’s almost encouraged. You have to be that alpha; it’s the toxic masculinity often described as poisonous.
“I could either use my powers for good or evil, and more often than not, I’d lean to the evil side.”
Joe’s big ego
Marler was handed a two-match suspension and £20,000 fine in 2016 for calling Wales player Samson Lee “Gypsy boy”, and four years later, he was slapped with a 10-week ban for grabbing Welsh player Alun Wyn Jones’s genitals during a Six Nations match.
Joe failed to clear up his act two years later, when he was hit with a six-week ban – four of which were suspended – for calling Bristol flanker Jake Heenan‘s mother a “w***e”.
Unbeknownst to Marler, she was in hospital battling cancer at the time.
Daisy was absolutely furious with Joe over the incident, branding him an “idiot” and a “moron”.
He explained on his podcast: “She turned round to me after and she was like, ‘F***ing hell, you’re an idiot, aren’t you? You’re just a moron.’ I went, ‘What do you mean? I thought you’re meant to defend me.’
“And she went, ‘Why am I defending you? That’s not even a funny attempt. It’s s**t.’ And I went, ‘Yeah, you’re right, it is s**t.’
Joe has also been blasted for aggressive behaviour on The Celebrity TraitorsCredit: BBC
Fans questioned some of Joe’s actions on the showCredit: BBC
Daisy made the decision to follow Joe’s careerCredit: Sunday Times
Marler has since apologised for the incident and said his actions towards Jones were “wrong”.
More recently, Joe has been blasted for some aggressive behaviour on The Celebrity Traitors.
During one particularly tense roundtable, comedian Lucy Beaumont asked him: “Why are you acting cocky round the table? It’s like you do ramp it up, Joe.”
Daisy’s mum Sarah isn’t afraid to have a pop at her son-in-law either.
She appeared on his podcast, Joe Marler‘s Things People Do, in June 2024, when she was asked by a listener if she ever feels like “slapping him” on the head due to his on-pitch antics, and she replied: “His antics… Let’s just say I slapped you around the head on Monday morning.
“There was an incident at the weekend.”
I snapped. We got home and I just spiralled and lost control. I turned over the kitchen, punched in one of the doors.
Joe Marler
Joe said: “Square [Sarah] does give me a fair amount of grief about some of the antics that go on,” and Sarah replied: “I think you do listen to us all, but you pretend you don’t.”
While Sarah also keeps Joe on the straight and narrow, she admitted there are “many things” she loves about him, particularly his humour, and we’ve been told she has plenty of “respect” for the rugby star.
The source said: “Daisy gets a lot of help from her mum, Sarah, who really has a lot of respect for Joe now, but they’ve been on a journey – just like Daisy has.
“Sarah is a marriage guidance counsellor and is often the voice of reason when things get tough.”
Mental health battle
Joe is no stranger to going through tough times in his life and has spoken openly about his mental health struggles.
This came after a horrific incident in 2018, when he smashed up his kitchen, leaving Daisy in tears, following an argument that he hadn’t swerved to try to miss a squirrel when driving.
Speaking to The Guardian in 2020, he said: “I snapped. We got home, and I just spiralled and lost control. I turned over the kitchen, punched in one of the doors.
“Then I got in the truck and drove off. I had no idea where I was going or what I was doing. But it was a massive turning point because it was the most ashamed I’ve ever been.
“I didn’t recognise who I was any more. After 30 minutes, I came back because I was running out on everything good in my life.”
The player was known for his on field aggressionCredit: Reuters
Joe is no stranger to going through tough times in his lifeCredit: PA
Marler started a course of therapy and antidepressants afterwards, and admitted he had worried about being a “burden” to Daisy.
But she told him at the time: “That’s the whole point of us being together – to support each other.”
Joe had thoughts to “end it all” following the argument, but Daisy stuck by him through thick and thin.
The insider told us: “Behind the scenes, it can be a struggle – he’s made no secret of mental health issues and some of his behaviour has been questionable, but Daisy is always there for him.
“Her friends always tell her she could have been a huge WAG, but she likes being in the background mostly.”
Marler played 95 times for England, but hung up his boots in November 2024 to focus on his family.
After quitting international rugby, Marler said: “I can’t do what I used to do as well as I once could. I can’t keep talking about my family being my priority unless they actually are.”
Joe has acknowledged the sacrifices Daisy had made, explaining in another interview: “I wouldn’t be in this world without her. If you are going to be a professional sportsperson in any sport, you have to have a level of selfishness, that drive, that commitment and I wouldn’t have been able to do that if Daisy wasn’t by my side.
“Half the year I’m not there, I’m doing rugby, and she’s looking after the kids and just looking after the home.
He added: “She is everything, she is the reason I wake up every morning.”
Last night the nation watched in horror as Joe was banished from The Traitors at the last minute after proving to be a worthy Faithful. It seems he’s learnt a thing or two from Daisy and now really is her time to bloom.
