For years, he was best known as one half of Australia’s most beloved comedy duos – Merrick and Rosso.
But behind the scenes, Merrick Watts’ strongest partnership is his marriage to wife Georgie Sulzberger.
According to the comedian, the story behind how he first met Georgie makes for the perfect stand-up fodder.
Speaking to Stellar Magazine, the 46-year-old revealed he was set up with his now wife by a mutual friend. However on their first date, Merrick wasn’t feeling one hundred per cent, rocking up with the mother of all hangovers.
“I’d been out with some friends the night before and I was really hungover and I didn’t want to go out on this date,” the SAS Australia star told the publication.
“But I went out and met Georgie… I just remember thinking, ‘Wow, she’s very, very good-looking. This probably won’t work because she’s too attractive for me.'”
But as they say, the rest is history and the pair tied the knot in 2006.
Merrick and Georgie have been married for 14 happy years.
(Image: Instagram)Doing away with tradition, the funnyman sported a pair of thongs instead of prim and proper dress shoes for his big day.
Their wedding took place on February 18 at the Star of Greece restaurant in South Australia’s Port Willunga.
The couple are the proud parents of a son called Wolfe Henry Watts, 11, and a daughter named Kinga Rose, eight.
For Merrick, he says becoming a father has only strengthened his bond with Georgie.
“Georgie and I have grown closer since our daughter, Kinga, was born. Like all relationships, we have ups and downs, but we are solid, in love, and realise we are lucky to have each other,” he explained to The Sydney Morning Herald last year.
The comedian with his children Wolfe (L) and Kinga (R).
(Image: Instagram)“When Georgie was pregnant with Kinga she had a high-risk birth. She had to have surgery and that was a tipping point for me. I was self-focused and not feeling that great about myself and my work. When they put her under anaesthetic and wheeled her away, I freaked out. I was holding her hand and realised my daughter’s and wife’s lives were at stake. It threw me straight back into reality. We really bonded,” he revealed.
As for the dynamic of their relationship, the stand-up comedian says his wife is “incredibly patient.”
“She has a large heart and when we argue we move on quickly. She used to model and do fashion PR but for now she’s focused on raising the kids.”
Merrick and Georgie currently live in Sydney with their two children. Since officially stepping away from radio in 2015, Merrick has launched Grapes of Mirth, which combines his two greatest loves – wine and comedy. The event company hosts comedy events at popular Aussie wineries.
As the former radio presenter embarks on his latest venture, starring on the extreme challenge show SAS Australia, there’s no doubt Georgie and his children will be cheering him on.
“She has a large heart and when we argue we move on quickly,” Merrick explains of his other half.
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