Forget broken hearts, First Dates cupid Fred Sirieix has been afflicted by bust ribs.
Known for being a lover not a fighter, the smoothie came a cropper when he took on a boxing champ in the ring.
The telly maitre d’ has revealed how he came off second best when he bravely went 10 rounds with British champ Clinton McKenzie.
Boxing-mad Fred, 48, told how he regularly comes face to face with the hardman while training at his gym in London – and admits he always came off worse in their bouts.
The star explains: “He knocked me down a few times and I got black eyes and broke my ribs.
“We were just squaring off in the middle of the ring… I mean, it was absolutely crazy.”
Fred, currently on our screens in Channel 4’s First Dates Hotel, fell in love with the sport when he first met McKenzie 13 years ago.
He says: “When I met Clinton, in a way my life changed – and a lot of things changed because, with boxing, it is about that truth, that purity.
“Nothing is as pure as boxing. There is no lying in a boxing gym and I like that.
“It’s about your confidence, your self-belief and it’s about self-knowledge.”
Fred, who also stars with chefs Gordon Ramsay and Gino D’Acampo in ITV travel show Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip, said his training sessions had led to a lasting friendship with McKenzie – who he called his “inspiration”.
He explains: “I train every day but I’ve had to stop sparring because I’m 48 and unfortunately I can’t see the punches coming.
“But I still shadow box and keep up with all the strength and conditioning exercises.
“Clinton is amazing – I still go to his gym. He is 64 now and you should see the classes he does.”
Speaking on Frank Warren’s Heavyweight podcast, Fred adds: “The man is a machine.
“He is so fit and so young at heart, he has been very inspirational for me.”
