 Murphy moved to Rotherham during the 2004 season to be with his fiancée , Clare , whom he married in July 2005 . Murphy 's wife filed for divorce in 2009 on the grounds of infidelity after The People newspaper published an exposé revealing he had spent the night with an escort girl he had met at a religious youth group . Murphy 's then manager , Brandon Parker , issued a statement confirming that Murphy had slept with the woman but denied he had been unfaithful , stating that Murphy did not have sex with her . He also dated Claire Chorlton , who was first introduced to the viewing public backstage during the final of the 2012 UK Championship . Murphy is currently engaged to his girlfriend Elaine , after proposing marriage at a restaurant in her native Ireland during Christmas 2014 , and he now lives just outside Nottingham . 
