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Noel Gallagher's family: From model daughter to £20m divorce


Noel and Liam Gallagher are reuniting for an Oasis tour in 2025


Noel Gallagher with Sarah McDonald and Anais Gallagher© Redferns
Francesca Shillcock
Francesca ShillcockDigital Travel Editor
Updated: July 8, 2025
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Brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher are back on the road and putting on a string of 41 gigs, which have thrilled fans worldwide. The comeback has been well received, with some reviewers even handing it five stars!

When they announced the comeback last year, the brothers seemingly addressed their long-running feud and very public spats. In a joint statement, they said: "The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised."

Oasis have announced their first UK and Ireland shows in sixteen years
© Simon Emmett
Oasis have announced their first UK and Ireland shows in sixteen years

Away from their love-hate brotherly bond, Noel and Liam have families of their own.

In more recent times, Noel's family hit the headlines when it was announced last year that he and his wife, Sara MacDonald had separated and were headed for divorce. The dispute reportedly cost the Acquiesce hitmaker around £20 million.

Find out more about Noel's family history including public divorces and his famous kids who have gone on to make names for themselves...

First wife

The singer-songwriter has been married twice in the past. Noel's first marriage was to Meg Mathews. The couple met in the mid-1990s when Oasis were rising to their peak and got hitched in Las Vegas in 1997.

The year before they became husband and wife, Noel told NME that their mega-hit song 'Wonderwall' was about Meg. The rocker would later deny this to be true after they split in 2001.

Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher with wife Meg Matthews at 'The Blair Witch Project' premiere in London© Dave Hogan
Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher with wife Meg Matthews at 'The Blair Witch Project' premiere in London, 1999

The breakdown of their marriage was high profile and came about eight months after the birth of their daughter, Anais.

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Young Liam and Noel Gallagher next to a magazine cover of them

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In later years, Meg would open up about their split. She told the Irish Mirror in 2020: "I came through the marriage. Everything was public. At the end of the day, I did not have the cog or the PR world that that person [Noel] had. I was just the ex-wife. I had nobody. I didn't know what to do. I didn't have a press agent, wasn't famous, I just had a daughter.

"I used to get terrible PTSD. In 1997 I was the third most written about woman. It was Lady Diana, The Spice Girls and me."  

Multi-million pound divorce from wife Sara

Noel met his second wife, Sara MacDonald, before his split from Meg was finalised. The former couple crossed paths at a nightclub in Ibiza in 2000 and, following his divorce, they would go on to become an item. Sara welcomed two boys while with Noel and they tied the knot in 2011.

At the start of 2023, however, the couple confirmed that they were separating. They released a statement to MailOnline in which they said their two sons were the priority.

Sara Macdonald, Anais Gallagher, Noel Gallagher and Donovan Gallagher attend the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square on December 16, 2015 in London, England© David M. Benett
Sara Macdonald, Anais Gallagher, Noel Gallagher and Donovan Gallagher attend the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square on December 16, 2015

Noel has spoken out about the split since but the specific reasons weren't confirmed. He said in a statement to the Big Issue: "It's not uncommon for people who have been in long-term relationships to go their separate ways in their 50s.

"When you get to your mid-50s, you do come to some kind of crossroads in your life. The midlife crisis thing is true for men and women."

Noel Gallagher and Sara MacDonald attend the re-opening of the Louis Vuitton New Bond Street Maison Reopening on October 23, 2019 in London, United Kingdom© Dave Benett
Noel Gallagher and Sara MacDonald announced their split in 2023

Noel and Sara's divorce reportedly cost the guitarist around £20 million and Sara also received the couple's North London home estimated to be worth around £8 million.

Children

Noel has three children. He is a father to daughter Anaïs, 25, who he welcomed with his first wife Meg. Noel also shares sons Donovan, 17, and Sonny, 14, with Sara.

Although his boys are still teenagers, Anaïs has gone on to carve out her own successful career. The 25-year-old is a model and photographer and boasts more than 300k followers on Instagram.

Anais Gallagher and Noel Gallagher attend the Ozwald Boateng show during London Fashion Week February 2022 at The Savoy Theatre on February 21, 2022 in London, England© Dave Benett
Noel Gallagher with his daughter, Anais

Anaïs is dating It's A Sin actor, Callum Scott Howells. Last year, she shared a cheeky photo of the Welsh actor joking: "My boyfriend forgot his trousers and I like it better that way!"

Who else is in Noel's family?

Noel's nieces and nephews are also quite well known. Liam Gallagher has four children. In 1998, he welcomed his first child, daughter Molly, after the Oasis frontman had a relationship with Lisa Moorish.

A year later, Liam welcomed his son, Lennon, with his then-wife Patsy Kensit.

Lennon Gallagher and Molly Gallagher attend the World Premiere of "Liam Gallagher: As It Was" at Alexandra Palace on June 06, 2019 in London© Dave Benett
Liam's kids, Lennon Gallagher and Molly Gallagher

Two years later, Liam welcomed his second son, Gene, with his second wife, Nicole Appleton. In 2013, Liam had an affair with Liza Ghorbani while still married to Nicole. Liza gave birth to their daughter, Gemma in 2013.

Lennon is a model who has walked for fashion houses such as YSL and has been photographed in Vogue. Gene, meanwhile, followed in his dad's footsteps and joined a band while growing up.

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