EXCLUSIVE: Ex-wife of Jessica Ennis-Hill’s sex shame former coach Toni Minichiello says he’s a ‘big personality who ruffles feathers’ – but insists some claims against him ‘don’t add up’
- Nicola Minichiello said her former husband undoubtedly ‘ruffles a lot of feathers’
- The former athletics coach is facing sexual misconduct charges across 15 years
- His ex-wife, 44, did not say whether she believed the allegations against him
- She couldn’t disagree with his claims he’s been the victim of a ‘witch hunt’
The ex-wife of Jessica Ennis-Hill’s sex shame athletics coach Toni Minichiello today described him as ‘a big personality who ruffles feathers’ – but said some of the claims against him ‘don’t add up’.
Nicola Minichiello was herself coached by him and went on to become his wife, separating 16 years ago.
Former Olympic bobsledder Nicola, 44, who lives with her partner and their children in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, declined to answer when asked whether she believed the allegations against him.
Former Olympic bobsledder Nicola Minichiello, 44, (pictured) was coached by Toni Minichiello and later married him. The couple separated more than 16 years ago and she now lives in Middlesbrough with her partner and their children
Toni Minichiello, 56, (pictured with Jessica Ennis-Hill) has been handed a lifetime ban by UK Athletics after being found to have committed ‘gross breaches of trust’ with sexually inappropriate conduct
She said: ‘I don’t really want to get involved in it, it’s been a long, long time since we were separated. I think it is really unfortunate, I think it is very sad and there are lots of different factors to it.’
However Nicola admitted Minichiello ‘ruffled feathers’ and said she couldn’t disagree with his claims he’s been the victim of a ‘witch hunt.’
Nicola, 44, defended her ex-husband Toni and said that some of the claims ‘don’t add up’
She said: ‘It’s a difficult situation all round, an emotive situation. Toni feels that some of it has perhaps been a bit of a witch hunt and I can’t argue with him, some of the facts don’t quite add up but there are obviously a lot of different factors.
‘He’s been a very successful coach but also he has a big personality. There is no question about it, he ruffles a lot of feathers.’
She and her former spouse are still in contact, she said, so she was aware of the allegations before the news broke.
She said: ‘I wasn’t surprised because I’ve spoken to Toni a few times in the last few months and so I saw the different situations.’
She was a budding heptathlete when she met her husband-to-be when he became her coach.
A young Jessica Ennis-Hill was a more junior member of the team coached by Minichiello at the same time.
Nicola later switched disciplines and competed at three Winter Olympics in the bobsleigh event, also becoming the first British bobsleigh driver to become world champion in 2009 along with her partner Gillian Cooke.
Toni Minichiello was handed what is effectively a lifetime ban by UK Athletics after being found to have committed ‘gross breaches of trust’ with sexually inappropriate conduct.
The 56-year-old, who had been subject of multiple complaints from women in athletics, was found to have committed 11 serious charges by an independent case-management group. Some other charges were not proven.
Ennis-Hill broke her silence on his sexual misconduct allegations last night and said the claims were ‘shocking and upsetting’ but added she was ‘never on the receiving end of any sexual physical behaviour’. Minichiello coached her during the London 2012 Olympics.
Minichiello seen with Ennis-Hill at the London Olympics in 2012 was suspended in May 2021 but it was announced yesterday he will no longer be permitted to hold a licence in ‘perpetuity’
An independent panel found Minichiello’s actions to ‘have had severe consequences for the mental health and mental wellbeing of the athletes under his charge’ over a period of 15 years.
His coaching licence has expired and UKA says it has decided that it will not entertain any future application made by him.
‘UKA is firmly of the view that there will never be a time in the future at which it would be appropriate to grant that assurance and issue such a licence,’ it said.
Minichiello said he was ‘disappointed’ with the decision and the process and strongly denies the charges.
The panel has found Minichiello:
- Made inappropriate sexual references and gestures to athletes.
- Failed to respect the athletes’ rights to a private life by making intrusive enquiries and personal comments about their personal lives.
- Engaged in sexually physical behaviour, namely inappropriate and unwanted touching of athletes to whom he owed a duty of care.
- Engaged in inappropriate and sometimes aggressive behaviour, bullying and emotional abuse.
