Simone Ballack Celebrates Milestone Birthday - Simone Ballack turns 50 with a new life in Italy after loss and reinvention
Simone Ballack has marked her 50th birthday just days after finishing fourth on I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!. The former footballer's wife has rebuilt her life in Italy as a hotel manager while remaining a familiar face on German television. Her journey—from personal loss to professional reinvention—has kept her in the public eye.
Born in Kaiserslautern, Ballack first met her ex-husband, footballer Michael Ballack, while working as a waitress. The couple married and had three sons before divorcing in 2012. After the split, she stepped back from public life, later relocating to Italy around 2020.
In 2021, tragedy struck when her 18-year-old son Emilio died in a quad bike accident in Portugal. She has since spoken of him as a guiding presence, calling him her 'angel'. Her resilience in coping with the loss earned praise during her recent jungle stint, though some viewers criticised her treatment of fellow contestant Gil Ofarim.
Professionally, Ballack has carved out a new path. From 2013 to 2017, she ran Chickeria, a restaurant in Kaiserslautern, and later sold handmade Advent wreaths. In 2019, she married childhood friend Andreas Mecky, but the couple separated in 2023, with Ballack citing a lack of support after Emilio's death. Despite this, she retained the surname Ballack to stay connected to her children.
Her latest venture is Mio Mio, a boutique hotel in Tignale on Lake Garda. After a year of renovations, she officially opened the property in April 2025 and now co-manages it. Active on social media, she shares updates from the hotel and has remained visible on TV, appearing on Promi Big Brother in 2020 and Dschungelcamp in 2026.
Ballack has repeatedly stressed her independence. 'I'm doing just fine on my own,' she has said, rejecting the label of merely being a footballer's wife. Her business ventures and media appearances reflect a focus on self-reliance.
Now 50, Ballack balances entrepreneurship with occasional television roles. The opening of Mio Mio marks a new chapter, while her openness about grief and resilience continues to resonate. Her story remains one of reinvention—from restaurant owner to hotel manager, all while staying present in public life.
