Biography
Property lawyer, entrepreneur and TV personality Nancy Dell'Olio hit the headlines when she moved to the UK with her then England football manager partner Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Since then the 50 year old has presented a show on MTV, launched her own lingerie range and even penned an autobiography.
Career
Nancy studied law at the Sapienza University of Rome before completing her Masters in New York. After returning to Italy in 1990 she set up her own legal practice specialising in high-end property deals.
She married millionaire lawyer Giancarlo Mazza, who was a major shareholder in Lazio, one of the country's biggest football clubs.
Through her husband she met Lazio manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, with whom she embarked on an affair, eventually leaving her husband for Sven.
The couple moved to England in 2000 when Sven accepted an offer to manage the England football team and Nancy was thrust into the public eye.
After a series of media revelations involving Sven's love-life the couple eventually split up in 2007.
Nancy has appeared on several TV shows, including Footballers' Cribs on MTV and Sky One's Project Catwalk.
Her autobiography My Beautiful Game was published in 2007 and a year later she launched her own range of lingerie called ND.
Background
Nancy was born in New York City to an American mother and Italian father and is the eldest of four children.
When Nancy was five her family moved back to the Italian town of Bisceglie, where they lived in an apartment above a clothes shop.
She works closely with the British Red Cross, as well as being a patron of Accademia Apulia UK, a group whose aim is to nurture young professionals.
Her current partner is theatre director Sir Trevor Nunn.
Trivia
At the age of 21 Nancy was in a car accident and spent time in a coma. She had to learn to walk again.
This year Nancy admitted that she turned 50 in August, having previously said in her autobiography that she was three years younger.
Dancing partner
Nancy Dell'Olio is dancing with Anton Du Beke.
Fan of Team Nanton?
Join in the discussion on Nancy and Anton's Fanblog page - ""!
