Marcus “Marky” Luther and his partner Mica “Meesh” Ven are stars of the British small screen via their lengthy stint on Gogglebox.
But Marky’s route to relative stardom hasn’t been the most straightforward.
From growing up on an estate in a deprived part of London to running his own boxing gym – and successfully, too – his life has been something of a rollercoaster.
Welcome aboard!
Marky Luther’s humble beginnings in South London
Born in May 1983, Marcus Luther – on Pointless Celebrities this weekend (February 1) – grew up in Thornton Heath, Croydon, in South London. In the past, he’s spoken about his proximity to crime and violence as a young person in London.
“I’m born and raised in a rough part of Croydon, a high knife crime area,” he told The Sun in 2023. “I’ve never got in trouble with the police but I am from an area where everybody does and even family members do. All my friends have been stabbed, shot or whatever.
“I had a choice to get in the car and go do the robbery, but I chose not to. My original thoughts were, if you do some crime, go to prison and don’t start moaning about it. Your choices were no different than mine. I needed to go in there to see why young people keep re-offending, especially in the black community.”
He was the youngest of six children, and recognises the impact that his father had on his upbringing. His sisters were strict on him, too, which helped him stay in line. But his brother fell into the lifestyle.
“My brother was in a gang and he has been stabbed and shot at. It happens. Even I was in a gang for a week, but I realised it wasn’t for me.”
Marcus started work at the age of 14 and hasn’t stopped since
Gogglebox star Marky Luther has talked about being motivated by business.
Everyone that he knew that was rich growing up either owned a firm (scaffolding, waste removal) or had degrees, so that’s how he planned to make his money.
He started working at the age of 14 and, in his own words, has “never stopped since”.
In 2009, he founded TM Boxing Gym. Initially, his intention was to work with disadvantaged youths from his local community.
But the enterprise has since grown and now welcomes members of the general public in the evenings.
It also runs morning sessions for stay-at-home mums and people with weight and confidence issues.
Meet Mica – long-term partner of Gogglebox star Marcus Luther
Mica and Marcus met at church. Marcus was smitten at first sight, writes Hello! magazine. Since Mica had signed up for a specific course, he did the same.
But she didn’t reciprocate his interest, and instead tried to set him up with other girls on the course. Fortunately for both of them, they ended up together.
Several years on, they now have four children between them, and a sizeable following among the British public from their time on Gogglebox.
Despite what viewers may have thought when they left the show after five years of doing it together, Mica and Marcus were, in 2023, stronger than ever.
They share four children
Marcus has a son from a previous relationship. Shiloh Defreitas is a 25-year-old professional boxer who fights under the name Sugar Shy.
Mica is not Shiloh’s biological mother but has celebrated his boxing success and called herself a “proud mama” to him.
Shiloh once appeared on Gogglebox along with his dad and stepmum but, in his own words, it “didn’t work out”.
Marcus explained to the BBC that Gogglebox is “not for everyone. Not everyone can ‘Goggle’. He’s too aggressive. Me and him just argued so I told him to sling his hook.”
She has two daughters herself, from a previous relationship, named Sachelle and Shaggy, whom she and Marcus coparent along with their own, Yash.
In his Instagram bio, Marky specifies that God comes first, then family, then work.
Pointless Celebrities is on BBC One at 8.35pm on Saturday February 1.
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He’s done well for himself, that’s for sure
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