Marcus Wareing is a familiar face on our television screens, best known for his appearances on cooking shows such as MasterChef. Despite his rising success in the food industry, Marcus once fell prey to criminal gangs who targeted his family home in Wimbledon. The TV chef resides in a £5 million property in Wimbledon, South London, and his home was ransacked whilst he was away with his wife on holiday. In 2020, thieves flew in from South America and stole more than £33,000 worth of goods, including a gold Rolex watch.

According to ITV, it is reported that at the time, Marcus was the latest target in "burglary tourism." This involved foreigners flying into the UK to ransack celebrities' homes and steal luxury items.

The four criminals who broke into Marcus' home reportedly flew from Chile to the UK and were arrested by police days later while they were on their way to perform another raid.

Three orange dots, made by spray paint, were placed on fences, marking them for the raid. At the time, Judge Jonathan Davies warned people living in the area to look out for any further markings.

The criminals - Danko Carvajal-Donaire, 20, Claudio Donoso, 20, Nicolas Portilla Astorga, 27, and Jorge Rojas, 22 - were all sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

Along with the stolen Rolex watch, Marcus' wife Jane also lost precious jewellery, Christian Louboutin shoes, and a treasured locket during the raid.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the duo said the losses were “enormous " at the time, and they were now spending insurance money on improving security at their home.

The judge reportedly told the four criminals that no one should view the UK as a "soft touch”, saying that it was clear the only reason they travelled to the UK was to commit the raid.