Noel Gallagher Ex-Wife: Meg Mathews and Sara MacDonald (Timeline, Divorce & Latest)

Last Updated – 29-09-2026

Noel Gallagher has been married twice. His first wife was Meg Mathews, whom he married in 1997 before their divorce was finalised in January 2001.

His second and most recent wife was Sara MacDonald, whom he married in 2011 after more than a decade together. Their separation was announced in January 2023.

For anyone searching for Noel Gallagher’s ex-wife, Sara MacDonald is therefore the most recent answer. She spent around 22 years with the Oasis songwriter, including approximately 12 years as his wife, and they have two sons together.

Who Is Noel Gallagher’s Ex-Wife Sara MacDonald?

Sara MacDonald is a Scottish former public relations professional who became Noel Gallagher’s second wife and longest-term partner.

She was born and raised in Edinburgh and attended Mary Erskine’s School. Her father worked as a PE teacher, while her mother was a French teacher.

Sara MacDonald’s Early Life and Career

After school, Sara studied public relations at Bournemouth University. She later worked for the Lynne Franks PR agency before moving into music-related publicity.

She was also involved with Orange’s music press team, giving her professional experience within entertainment and communications before her relationship with Noel placed her in the public eye.

Sara therefore had an established career before becoming widely known as Noel Gallagher’s partner.

She and Noel later had two sons. Donovan Gallagher was born in 2007, followed by Sonny Gallagher in 2010.

Sara also became an important figure in Noel’s wider family. Anaïs Gallagher, Noel’s daughter with Meg Mathews, has described Sara as being like a third parent to her, reflecting how closely connected Sara became to the family during her long relationship with Noel.

How Did Noel Gallagher and Sara MacDonald Meet?

Noel Gallagher and Sara MacDonald met in Ibiza in 2000.

Their first meeting reportedly took place at the Space nightclub. Noel approached Sara while they were both at the venue, and the pair began talking before later sharing a taxi.

Sara gave Noel her phone number before leaving Ibiza, and their relationship developed afterwards.

The timing attracted significant media attention because Noel was still legally married to Meg Mathews when he met Sara. Noel and Meg separated later in 2000, and their divorce was finalised in January 2001.

Noel and Sara remained together for more than a decade before getting married.

They eventually tied the knot in June 2011 at Lime Wood Hotel in the New Forest. By then, the couple already had two children and had been together for approximately 11 years.

Their relationship lasted roughly 22 years overall, making Sara Noel’s longest-term publicly known partner.

Why Did Noel Gallagher and Sara MacDonald Divorce?

Noel Gallagher and Sara MacDonald announced their separation on 16 January 2023.

Their spokesperson said the couple intended to continue caring for their sons together and asked for privacy for the family.

Some older articles have described the marriage as lasting 13 years, but Noel and Sara married in 2011 and separated in 2023, making the marriage approximately 12 years long. Their overall relationship lasted much longer because they had been together since 2000.

Neither Noel nor Sara has given a full public explanation covering every factor behind their separation.

Noel has, however, spoken about the impact of the Covid pandemic and lockdown period. He suggested the experience created significant strain on their relationship and contributed to the marriage reaching a point where it could not continue.

His comments offer some insight into the breakdown of the marriage, but they should not be treated as a complete account of everything that happened privately.

Following the split, Noel returned to London and spoke about enjoying a more spontaneous social life after years spent living outside the centre of the city.

How Much Did Sara MacDonald Get in the Divorce?

Reports have claimed that Sara received a financial settlement of around £20 million.

She was also widely reported to have retained the couple’s Hampshire mansion, which was valued in reports at approximately £8 million.

Those figures have not been publicly confirmed through the complete legal settlement, so they should be treated as reported amounts rather than definitive financial records.

Noel later joked about the divorce while speaking on Matt Morgan’s Patreon podcast. He described cycling near his former home and referred humorously to passing the house of his “wonderful ex-wife”.

The comment attracted attention because Noel had otherwise kept many details of the divorce private.

The financial story also became more complicated when Oasis reunited. The substantial revenue connected with the reunion raised questions about whether Sara could benefit from money earned after their separation.

Family-law commentary around the case suggested that wealth generated after a separation would not automatically be treated in the same way as assets built up during the marriage. As a result, later Oasis tour income would not necessarily change the settlement already agreed between Noel and Sara.

What Happened Between Sara MacDonald and Liam Gallagher?

Sara MacDonald’s relationship with Liam Gallagher became one of the most public and controversial elements of the wider Gallagher family feud.

Liam made several critical comments about Sara on social media, particularly in 2018. He accused her of influencing Noel and suggested she was one of the reasons an Oasis reunion had not happened.

At one point, Liam publicly blamed Sara for Oasis no longer being together.

That claim should not be treated as an established explanation for the band’s breakup.

Oasis split in 2009 after years of disagreements between Noel and Liam. The immediate end came after a serious backstage argument before a scheduled performance in Paris, after which Noel announced he had left the band.

The brothers had already experienced longstanding disputes over touring, music, personal behaviour and the direction of Oasis.

Sara later gave her side of the story. She spoke about difficult interactions involving Liam and described receiving troubling phone calls during the earlier stages of her relationship with Noel.

She also discussed how the feud affected the wider family, particularly the children.

For that reason, presenting Sara as the sole reason Oasis remained apart would oversimplify a conflict that existed directly between Noel and Liam for many years.

Did Noel Gallagher’s Divorce Help Oasis Reunite?

Noel and Sara’s divorce became part of the speculation surrounding a possible Oasis reunion almost immediately after their separation.

Because Liam had publicly criticised Sara and claimed that she stood in the way of reconciliation, some fans began suggesting that Noel’s divorce could make a reunion easier.

Those theories became even more prominent once Oasis officially reunited.

The Oasis Live ’25 tour brought Noel and Liam back together on stage and became one of the biggest music stories associated with the brothers in years.

Fans repeatedly joked online that Noel’s separation from Sara had helped clear the way for the reunion.

However, there is no confirmed evidence that Sara’s departure from Noel’s life directly caused Oasis to return.

The brothers themselves had to resolve enough of their own differences to work together again. Their conflict existed long before Sara became the focus of Liam’s criticism, so it would be inaccurate to attribute the reunion entirely to Noel’s divorce.

The relationship between the divorce and the Oasis reunion is therefore best described as a widely discussed fan theory rather than an established fact.

Who Is Noel Gallagher’s First Ex-Wife Meg Mathews?

Meg Mathews was Noel Gallagher’s first wife and became one of the recognisable personalities associated with the 1990s Britpop scene.

She was born on 14 March 1966 and is 60 years old as of September 2026.

Some older online profiles have published conflicting information about her family. More reliable accounts identify her father as Stanley “Stan” Mathews, who worked as a builder, while her mother Christine was a secretary.

Meg also spent part of her childhood in South Africa before returning to Britain.

She became involved in music PR and moved within the social circles surrounding artists, record companies and media figures during the Britpop era.

Noel met Meg in 1994 through her flatmate Rebecca de Ruvo, an MTV presenter whom Noel had previously been dating.

Their relationship developed at the same time Oasis were becoming one of Britain’s biggest bands.

Albums including Definitely Maybe and (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? turned Noel and Liam Gallagher into major public figures, and Meg consequently became a regular subject of celebrity and music coverage.

When Did Noel Gallagher and Meg Mathews Marry and Divorce?

Noel Gallagher and Meg Mathews married secretly on 5 June 1997 at the Little Church of the West in Las Vegas.

Their wedding took place amid considerable media attention surrounding both Oasis and the couple’s relationship.

Their daughter, Anaïs Gallagher, was born in January 2000.

The marriage ended later that year.

Noel and Meg separated in September 2000, and their divorce was finalised on 19 January 2001.

That means their marriage lasted approximately three and a half years, rather than the four years sometimes stated in older reports.

Noel’s meeting with Sara MacDonald during 2000 led to considerable speculation about whether the new relationship caused his marriage to Meg to collapse.

Adultery became associated with the divorce proceedings. However, Noel later gave a more complicated account, suggesting he admitted adultery partly because it helped speed up the legal process.

It is therefore safer to avoid stating as an uncontested fact that Noel simply left Meg because of an affair with Sara.

The confirmed timeline is that Noel met Sara in 2000, separated from Meg in September of that year and completed the divorce in January 2001.

Was Wonderwall Written About Meg Mathews?

One of the longest-running myths surrounding Noel Gallagher’s first marriage concerns Wonderwall.

The Oasis song became closely associated with Meg during their relationship, and for many years it was widely described as having been written specifically about her.

Noel later rejected that straightforward interpretation.

He explained that the meaning of the song was not simply about Meg and described its subject in broader terms.

That distinction matters because many profiles continue to repeat the story that Wonderwall was directly written for Meg without mentioning Noel’s later comments.

The same caution applies to other Oasis songs.

Claims that tracks such as Little by Little or Stop Crying Your Heart Out were specifically inspired by Noel’s divorce should not be presented as fact unless Noel has directly confirmed the connection.

Meg Mathews at the 2025 Oasis Reunion

Meg Mathews returned to the Oasis story when she attended the band’s opening reunion concert in Cardiff on 4 July 2025.

She attended the show at the Principality Stadium with her daughter Anaïs.

Meg attracted additional attention when she left before the concert had completely finished.

Some fans speculated that her departure might have been connected with Wonderwall and its historic association with her.

Meg dismissed that interpretation and explained that she simply wanted to reach her car before tens of thousands of concertgoers left the stadium at the same time.

Her appearance at the reunion nevertheless showed that, despite her divorce from Noel more than two decades earlier, she remained connected with the Gallagher family through Anaïs.

Meg Mathews vs Sara MacDonald

Noel Gallagher’s relationships with Meg Mathews and Sara MacDonald belong to very different periods of his life.

Meg’s marriage coincided with the peak of Britpop and Oasis’s rise to global fame, whereas Sara was Noel’s partner through a much longer period covering his later Oasis years, the band’s breakup and his solo career with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

What Does Meg Mathews Do Now?

Meg Mathews has built a public identity beyond being Noel Gallagher’s former wife.

After her involvement in music PR and entertainment, she moved into design, publishing and campaigning.

In recent years, she has become particularly associated with menopause awareness.

She founded the MegsMenopause platform and has spoken publicly about women’s health, ageing and the challenges associated with menopause.

She also published The New Hot: Taking on the Menopause with Attitude and Style.

Her later career demonstrates that describing Meg only through her marriage to Noel overlooks much of her work since their divorce.

Is Noel Gallagher Married or Dating in 2026?

Noel Gallagher has not remarried following his divorce from Sara MacDonald.

After the separation, he was publicly linked with events professional Sally Mash. However, reports in 2026 indicated that relationship had ended.

Other women have subsequently been linked with Noel in celebrity coverage, but there has not been sufficiently clear public confirmation to identify anyone as his current wife or established long-term partner.

As of September 2026, the most accurate description is that Noel is unmarried.

He is 59 years old and continues to attract significant attention because of the renewed activity surrounding Oasis.

How Much Is Noel Gallagher Worth in 2026?

Noel Gallagher’s exact net worth is not publicly available.

Older reports have placed his fortune at around £53 million, while other celebrity wealth estimates have suggested considerably larger figures.

These estimates should be treated cautiously.

Noel’s finances potentially include:

• Oasis and solo music royalties
• Songwriting and publishing income
• Property and investments
• Touring revenue
• Earnings connected with the Oasis reunion.

The scale of the Oasis comeback also means estimates published before the reunion may no longer reflect his current financial position.

Likewise, simply subtracting the reported £20 million divorce settlement from an older net-worth figure would not provide a reliable estimate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Noel Gallagher’s ex-wife?

Noel Gallagher has two ex-wives. Meg Mathews was his first wife, while Sara MacDonald is his most recent ex-wife.

Who was Noel Gallagher married to most recently?

Sara MacDonald was Noel Gallagher’s most recent wife. They married in 2011 and announced their separation in January 2023.

Why did Noel Gallagher and Sara MacDonald divorce?

Noel has said the Covid pandemic and lockdown period placed significant strain on their relationship. The pair have not disclosed every private reason behind their separation.

How much did Sara MacDonald get from Noel Gallagher?

Reports have claimed Sara received around £20 million and retained an approximately £8 million Hampshire property. The full settlement has not been publicly confirmed.

Did Sara MacDonald cause Oasis to split?

There is no verified evidence that Sara caused Oasis to split. Liam Gallagher criticised her and blamed her for preventing a reunion, but Oasis originally broke up following longstanding disagreements between Noel and Liam.

Did Noel Gallagher’s divorce lead to the Oasis reunion?

Fans widely speculated that the divorce made reconciliation between Noel and Liam easier. However, neither brother has confirmed that Noel’s divorce was the reason Oasis reunited.

Who was Noel Gallagher’s first wife?

Noel Gallagher’s first wife was Meg Mathews. They married on 5 June 1997 and divorced in January 2001.

Was Wonderwall written about Meg Mathews?

Wonderwall was widely associated with Meg, but Noel later rejected the simple claim that the song was written specifically about her.

How many children does Noel Gallagher have?

Noel has three children: Anaïs Gallagher with Meg Mathews and Donovan and Sonny Gallagher with Sara MacDonald.