EXCLUSIVERevealed: TV host Kirsty Gallachers new boyfriends sports events firm went BUST with debts of £700,000 - owing ex-England rugby star Chris Robshaw a huge sum

TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher’s new boyfriend ran a sports events business that went bust leaving a trail of debts of hundreds of thousands of pounds, MailOnline can reveal.

Former rugby player Darren Clayton, 38, left scores of creditors out of pocket when his company Zeus Sports went into voluntary liquidation four years ago.

The firm collapsed after Clayton organised a prestigious cycling event - the Women’s Tour of Scotland - which ended in financial disaster.

It went into administration owing £699,753 with teams taking part in the event losing £74,460 in expenses and prize money.

Police Scotland suffered losses of more than £104,000 while ambulance and fire services went unpaid along with companies and contractors who took part in the event.

TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher pictured alongside her new boyfriend Darren Clayton

Speaking about their relationship, Kirsty told how Clayton was ‘quite immersed in’ his sports company

Former rugby player Clayton, pictured with Gallacher, left scores of creditors out of pocket when his company Zeus Sports went into voluntary liquidation four years ago

Firms unconnected to the race also lost out as the company collapsed with Twickenham Stadium owed £10,800 while debts to shareholders took total losses to £855,102.

Shareholders included Clayton’s close friend former England captain Chris Robshaw, 38, who lost out to the tune of £25,000.

As well as the collapse of his company, Clayton suffered personal turmoil after he split with partner Candice, 41, the mother of their seven-year-old daughter Alexa.

Now the entrepreneur is trying to get his life back on track after re-launching his business - and finding love with Kirsty, 48, who told last week how she was ‘really happy’ after bonding with Darren over being single parents.

Kirsty - who has sons Oscar, 17, and Jude, 14 - told how the pair met through mutual friends, married sports broadcasters Gabby and Kenny Logan, while attending a fundraising event in memory of late rugby player Doddie Weir, who died in 2022 from motor neurone disease.

She revealed the couple - who also share a love of golf - have enjoyed many romantic getaways to Devon, where Claytons parents live after beginning their relationship last autumn.

The Smooth Radio host - who split with former rugby player husband Paul Sampson in 2015 - said of the relationship: ‘Were very happy. We both had similar stories - we are single parents and love playing golf.

‘He looks after me and tells me to have time off as I can be a workaholic. Gabby and Kenny, obviously they love him.’

Clayton attended exclusive Millfield School along with Robshaw and the pair went on to join the academy at Harlequins Rugby Club where he was a professional player between 2004 and 2006.

He went on to play for Plymouth Albion and Esher before going into business launching charity sporting events and setting up Zeus Sports Limited in 2013.

Clayton’s firm delivered a range of sporting events across the UK and Europe,  but disaster struck after the firm launched the Women’s Tour of Scotland, pictured

One of the shareholders of Claytons (right) company was his close friend and former England captain Chris Robshaw (left)

According to Clayton’s LinkedIn profile, the firm delivered a range of sporting events across the UK and Europe including corporate entertaining, awards and testimonial dinners organising ‘bespoke evenings for high net worth clients to a large portfolio of rugby, cycling and golf events’.

But disaster struck after the firm launched the Women’s Tour of Scotland - a new cycling event staged over three days in August 2019.

The race attracted a field of top international riders and despite the first stage being cancelled because of flooding was seen as a success from a sporting perspective.

But problems arose when teams and contractors failed to receive payments and emails went unanswered.

Anthony McCrossan, owner of VoxWomen which provided television highlights packages of the race said he was paid some of his fee up front but lost £26,000.

He said at the time: ‘From the moment the race finished Zeus were difficult over payments

‘Since then it’s been promise, promise, promise and nothing ever happens.

‘This sport in a growing phase needs to be mindful of doing due diligence on new ventures and new people entering the sport.

‘We did some checks and things were backed by EventScotland so we felt everything was OK, but it leaves a pretty bitter taste in the mouth when you are trying to work for a sport.

‘When you look through the figures they did not have the budget to run that race in the first place - that race is a £1million race.’

Another source likened the financial chaos following the event to ‘rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic’.

It had been planned to launch the race as an annual event but it folded after the company went bust.

Police Scotland suffered losses of more than £104,000 while ambulance and fire services went unpaid along with companies and contractors who took part in the event

As well as the collapse of his company, Clayton suffered personal turmoil after he split with partner Candice (pictured), 41, the mother of their seven-year-old daughter Alexa

Since January 2020 Clayton has been running a new firm Zeus Sports Group whose activities include organising charity cycling events. At the same time he co-founded a business which provides ‘holistic support to assist women experiencing reproductive and hormonal health issues to remain in and return to work’.

Speaking last week about their relationship Kirsty - who is the daughter of golfing legend Bernard Gallacher - told how Clayton was ‘quite immersed in’ his sports company adding: ‘I think it’s very impressive’.

She said: ‘I’m usually running around like mad with the children at their sport but my boyfriend encourages me to take a day off as I work on Saturdays doing my radio show.

’I do myself in a bit sometimes, where I get exhausted and try to be everything for my children.

‘It just works really well between us. And my boys Oscar and Jude love him and hes got a gorgeous little girl. Were very content. Weve been together nearly a year.’

She first hinted at their relationship after posting a photograph of the couple together on Instagram as they enjoyed a romantic break in Devon.

Gallacher first hinted at their relationship after posting a photograph of the couple together on Instagram as they enjoyed a romantic break in Devon

She said: ‘Its been lovely. We first went at Christmas and spent New Years there. We did lots of walking and going to cosy pubs.

‘Its been wonderful and weve been very private for nearly a year and no ones known and Ive not wanted to talk about it.

‘But then this summer I put a picture of us up on Instagram. I dont put a hell of a lot up on there, but it just felt right.’