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Tamara Ecclestone - Biography

The mum-of-two is the eldest daughter of Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone

Tamara Ecclestone at the premiere of Frozen 2 in 2019
Chloe Best
Lifestyle Features Editor
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"I'm not a spoilt, ungrateful brat who doesn't know the value of money," Tamara Ecclestone told HELLO! magazine in 2011. The bubbly brunette is known for being the daughter of Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone and her net worth is £300million.

Tamara Ecclestone, who is Bernie's eldest daughter with statuesque Croatian former model Slavica, is a businesswoman with her own range of hair styling products. She has also worked as a presenter for Sky Sports Italia and modelled for Armani. She doesn't want to be known as a billionaire's daughter and insists she is her own person, but adds, "I'm so grateful for everything I have. My dad worked so hard for it, why should I feel ashamed? If I made a lot of money, I'd want my kids to have a really nice time." 

tamara ecclestone at an art event© Rex
Tamara Ecclestone is the daughter of F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone

Born in Milan on 28 June 1984, the heiress studied at the Francis Holland School in London, and then attended London School of Economics and University College of London but she never completed her psychology degree. Her TV debut came on Channel 4 when she hosted the Red Bull Air Race World Championship. Business-savvy Tamara, starred in her own reality TV show Tamara Ecclestone: Billion $ Girl which showed her overseeing renovations of her £45million house in London. 

But this is not the only property the socialite has. In a HELLO! exclusive, Tamara opened the doors to her LA pad and said, "I'm just so happy to be here. The sun is shining, my sister is close by [in The Manor, her own 57,000sq-ft mansion]... I just feel as though 2013 is going to be the best year ever." With nine bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a private cinema and games room laid out over 19,000 square feet in Bel Air, the mansion certainly had all the pre-requisites to make her feel comfortable. 

After a well-publicised break up with her boyfriend of two and a half years Omar Khyami, Tamara hoped the new home would bode well for her future. When speaking of the prospect of a new boyfriend, she said: "Without trust, you have nothing: trust is so important to me. I also need someone who can make me laugh – if you can't laugh together, what are you going to do in 30 years or however long it takes for the romance to fade? After what happened with Omar, more than ever I need someone with ambition and motivation, who has a drive to get up in the morning." 

Tamara Ecclestone and Jay Rutland at the Global Gift Gala in 2017© Getty Images
Tamara Ecclestone is married to Jay Rutland

Tamara's wish came true when she married Jay Rutland in a lavish ceremony in the South of France in the summer of 2013. The couple, who were introduced by mutual friends earlier that year, got engaged within a month of dating. "Our engagement has been very sudden and I get that there are people who won't understand that and will read things into it," said Tamara. "But my response to that would be, 'When you know, you know.' When I met Jay, I just knew this was the man I was going to marry. 

"I don't think the amount of time you are together has anything to do with it," Tamara says. "All I know is that I have never felt more comfortable with anyone so quickly, or felt as happy as I feel right now." 

hello birthday party tamara ecclestone
Tamara Ecclestone with her daughter Sophia in 2018

Soon after the wedding, Tamara became pregnant with their first child Sophia, who was born on 18 March 2014. Of the new chapter in her life, the young mother said: "I love the happy ever after, I finally feel like I've got it. "It's been really amazing. I'm really happy, it's the happiest I've ever been. I'm enjoying married life, the honeymoon period and extended honeymoon." 

In September 2020, Tamara and Jay secretly welcomed a second daughter, who they named Serena.

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