Warnie's wags at war: Liz and Simone's race to the alter

Liz Hurley and Shane Warne may be planning an all-out wedding, but it seems his ex-wife and her beau might just beat them down the aisle!

As Shane Warne and Liz Hurley celebrated their engagement together in Melbourne last week, the cricket great’s ex-wife, Simone Callahan, and her buff boyfriend, Toby Roberts, fled the spotlight for a romantic break far from all the fuss. Simone, 41, has never been really comfortable on the red carpet, preferring to spend her time playing mum to Brooke, 14, Jackson, 12, and Summer, 10, while her love affair with fashion executive Toby quietly blossomed. Friends say if the two do end up tying the knot, it would likely be an intimate affair, rather than the star-studded celebrations Liz and Shane are planning on two continents.

“Simone adores Toby and he adores her,” confirms one friend. “I know they have said they’re taking things slowly, but they may well end up beating Liz and Shane down the aisle, because they really are head-over-heels. It’s been lovely to watch their relationship grow.” Last month, Simone told Woman’s Day that she and Toby, 37, were happy to take their relationship one step at a time and were in no rush to move in together let alone marry – but also confirmed they were “absolutely in love”.

“She is really uncomfortable with all the attention, so don’t be surprised if she and Toby elope and we all find out about it later,” explains the friend. “It certainly won’t be a big event, because that is just not their style.” In sharp contrast, Liz, 46, and Shane, 42, have shared their love with the world almost from the moment they were first spotted together – when they were caught kissing in a lift at a London hotel last December. Liz flew into Australia last week with her son Damian, 9, to join the cricketer.

Later, they celebrated with Shane’s friends in Melbourne, with Liz proudly showing off her $100,000 diamond and sapphire engagement ring. “For me, in my life at the moment, I’m in a really good place,” Shane says. “My number-one priority is my children and that’s the most important thing – and my new family, too – Elizabeth and her son Damian, and vice versa. I’m in a great space personally… and probably the happiest I’ve ever been.”