Can you believe it? The England football team is into the World Cup semi-finals, and will face off against Argentina this evening [15th July.] And while all eyes will be on the pitch to see the likes of Harry Kane and Declan Rice doing their thing, we're also quite obsessed with seeing who's in the stands cheering them on. We've already dug into Jude Bellingham's girlfriend Ashlyn Castro, but who is his mum Denise? Here's what you need to know about the superstar's mother.
Who is Denise Bellingham?
Denise is 57-years-old, and alongside Mark Bellingham, 49, she is parent to Jude, 23, and his younger brother, Jobe. Jude was born in June 2003, while Jobe was born two years later, and is now 20. The boys were raised in Stourbridge, near Birmingham, and played a lot of football from a young age, with Jude signing for the Birmingham City Under-8s team.
When Jude signed to Borussia Dortmund aged 17, Denise temporarily moved to Germany to be with her eldest son, while Mark stayed behind with Jobe. "I’m getting food from the club at the minute and my mum’s helping me out with all that kind of stuff," he told The Guardian at the time of his cooking skills. "That’s something I need to learn …"
Jobe now plays for that very same team, after previously playing for Sunderland, while Jude plays for Real Madrid. Denise now lives in Spain alongside her son, with reports saying "she now lives in the private La Finca enclave known as Spain’s Beverly Hills."
Denise has a background as a human resources officer, but has been Bellingham's rock since his career began, allegedly ensuring he continues his education, managing his finances and cooking for him. "Her protective and private nature comes with its drawbacks for those who might deign to get in her way," The Times added. "Rumour has it the England WAGs are terrified of her."
What has Jude said about mum Denise?
Jude has credited both of his parents for supporting his career, telling The Times: "“Without my mum sometimes I’d get too low with the lows or too high with the highs and I stay pretty humble because I’ve got her around,” Bellingham has said. “It’s also great to have her there because she’s a great laugh as well. We get on so well and we’re always doing stuff together.”
In 2020, he also told The Guardian of his parents, "Before being great parents, they’re great people. I’ve grown up around them and seen the way they interact with other people, seen the way they treat people. When you have people like that, you don’t have to be told how to behave, you pick that up from them.
"Both are working-class and filled me with the things you need to get along. You can take those lessons in your personal life and social life, but also into football: not giving up, working hard and if you want something, putting in the graft to go and get it."
What advice has Denise given Jude this World Cup?
Before the quarter-final match against Norway, Jude was on a yellow card - which meant an additional yellow card would stop him from appearing in future games.
However, while the yellow cards have now been wiped, Jude revealed that his mother had given him some strong advice to ensure he kept a level head going into the match.
"My mum's been telling me all week to watch my language, watch my tackles, watch my face, watch my emotions," he said after the final whistle. "So yeah, I think she drilled it into me all week about being careful of that yellow card. And to be honest, when you play the right way, and credit to the referee, he was class, he still let you communicate in a respectful way.
"A lot of referees don't let you do that. So I think when I get the balance right, and there's a referee who's willing to listen, it makes it a lot easier. And in the end, it was just a really well competed game of football, and luckily I got through it."
What is Denise's relationship status?
Reports say Denise and Jude's dad Mark were together for 20 years, but Daily Mail claimed back in October 2025 that they had split. "It is also not clear when Mark and Denise formally separated, although they have largely lived apart for the last five years, most recently dividing their time between Germany and Spain, as they followed their sons," the source said at the time.
The pair haven't commented on the claims, but have been photographed together at the England World Cup matches earlier this tournament.
