Ronnie O'Sullivan's turbulent love life with EastEnders actress and his plans to leave UK

The new British Open champion will be crowned this Sunday as a week of snooker action culminates with the grand final in Cheltenham.

Over the past 40 years, many of the sport's greatest champions have claimed victory in the tournament, including Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and John Higgins. Ronnie O'Sullivan, another previous champion, was a notable no-show at this year's competition after withdrawing at short notice due to "medical reasons".

In recent years, O'Sullivan has been absent from several high-profile tournaments. His withdrawal from the latest competition followed his decision not to participate in the English Open earlier this month. His last appearance was at the Saudi Arabia Masters in August, where he was narrowly defeated in the final by Neil Robertson.

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Earlier this year, he took a three-month hiatus from competitive action after a bizarre meltdown saw him break his cue and bin it while competing in the Championship League in Leicester. He made a comeback at the World Snooker Championship in April, reaching the semi-finals before being eliminated by eventual champion Zhao Xintong.

His absences coincide with a series of tumultuous events in his personal life, including his relationship with an EastEnders actress and his plans to relocate from the UK to the Middle East. Here's what you need to know.

Turbulent relationship with EastEnders actress

In June, O'Sullivan caught everyone off guard when he revealed that he had married EastEnders, Holby City and Footballers' Wives star Laila Rouass, merely 10 months after they reportedly split up.

Their turbulent romance began in 2012, when Rouass was shown around the snooker legend's home while house-hunting, and O'Sullivan asked her on a date via the estate agent. They became engaged just a year later and remained together for nearly a decade before parting ways in 2022.

While they quickly reconciled, they went their separate ways once more at the beginning of 2024, seemingly for good. However, the pair went on to marry this summer, with O'Sullivan telling his social media followers: "We finally made it official!! Mr and Mrs O'Sullivan."

Following their marriage ceremony on Cable Street in Shadwell, east London, Rouass, who also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2009, told fans: "Palestinians have taught me so much, most importantly to honour human connection, make love your motivator and to keep refreshing it. So l suppose after almost a year break... this was one way of pressing the refresh button".

"Ok... so it wasn't Venice... that was fully booked. It was Cable Street in Shadwell where I was born and where my heart belongs. It's where in 1936, local activists, along with the Jewish community, gathered together to demonstrate against the planned fascist BUF marchers.

"The Battle of Cable Street was used by my father as an example of how a community rooted in justice can bring change... that we all have a duty to fight for the freedom and rights of others," she explained. "The East End is the land of the immigrants. Its vibrancy, diversity and working class roots is something I treasure.

"I was born there, I was educated there, today I was married there, and I will be buried there because my roots are my roots. Free Palestine. Mrs O'Sullivan."

O'Sullivan is father to three children from previous relationships. He first welcomed his daughter Taylor Ann with his former girlfriend Sally Magnus in 1997. He also shares son Ronnie Jr and daughter Lily with ex-partner Jo Langley, who he was with for eight years, while he became a granddad at 42 when Taylor-Ann had a daughter in 2018.

Plans to leave UK

O'Sullivan has also revealed ambitions to relocate permanently to Dubai, having already chosen to take "a little break" from the UK.

Following his World Championships exit, the seven-time world champion revealed: "I think I am going to be moving out of the UK this year. I'll be moving away to the Middle East. We'll see how it goes - I might be back in six months.

"A new life somewhere else. I don't know how that is going to pan out. I will still try to play snooker but I don't know what the future looks like for me really."

His long-time manager Jason Francis told the Daily Express that the decision was partly driven by O'Sullivan's desire for a "quieter" existence, explaining: "Ronnie's moved out to the Middle East for a while. You'll probably see him first in Shanghai. He's had a little break from the UK.

"You're talking about someone who can't go to the shop without being asked for a selfie, a photo. Where he is, he's finding a life a little bit quieter at the moment.

"Ronnie's Ronnie. He'll decide when he wants to play and everyone knows he can come from nowhere to win a major tournament," he added. "You won't see Ronnie play a full schedule [this season] but I think you'll see him try and properly prepare for the tournaments he plays in.

"He'll still be the sport's most commercial player in the short-term. Whether Zhao Xintong or [Judd] Trump can pick up that mantle now as we transition. Ronnie will be 50 in December, people have to remember that. They still expect him to turn up and win everything."

An insider revealed to The Sun that O'Sullivan would be accompanied overseas by Rouass following their marriage, adding: "Ronnie is moving to the Middle East and Laila is going with him. They've talked about living in Dubai, which is just a two-hour flight from where Ronnie has his snooker academy in Saudi Arabia.

"He has spoken to people on his snooker circuit about the move and is excited about a clean break from the UK for him and Laila. They have had their issues in the past but Ronnie and Laila have worked through it and seem really happy again. The people who know them think they make a great couple and just want them to live a happy, quiet life."

Huge net worth

Despite his often-chaotic personal life away from the baize, there's no questioning O'Sullivan's brilliance on it, with his collection of major championship titles also helping him build a staggering personal wealth. As one of the game's all-time greats, he currently possesses an enormous net worth estimated at around £20million.

Since exploding onto the professional scene as a youngster, he has banked approximately £14.5m in prize money throughout his illustrious career, during which he has claimed a remarkable 41 ranking titles, including 23 Triple Crown triumphs.

The 2023/24 season saw him pocket £1.25m in prize money following victories at the Shanghai Masters, UK Championship, the Masters, World Grand Prix and World Masters.

When he's not raking in vast sums at tournaments, O'Sullivan also earns considerable amounts through lucrative sponsorship agreements, having partnered with brands such as technology firm ROKiT, Eurosport and snooker company BCE Riley over the years.