CELEBRITY Big Brother star Fern Britton appeared to take a dig at her ex-husband Phil Vickery on the ITV show – yet the real reason for their bitter split has now come to light.
The former This Morning anchor, 66, has been married twice, with her second marriage seeing her tie the knot with popular ITV daytime chef Phil Vickery, 62.
Celebrity Big Brother star Fern Britton has revealed the real reason for her split from Phil Vickery
The pair left fans shocked when they announced their split four years ago, in January 2020, after a 20-year marriage that began in 2000 following a year of dating.
Fern previously mentioned being "knocked for six" when their relationship ended abruptly and hinted at the strained relationship with a suspected swipe on CBB.
However, the reason for their break-up has now been unveiled after Fern disclosed that their marriage "fell apart" following a "family tragedy" – the passing of her dad Tony in 2019 and her mum Ruth a year earlier.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain four years ago, Fern shared, "My mum died and my father died, and unfortunately Phil and I fell apart."
She further explained on the Book Club podcast, "Too much happened in the past couple of years – I’ve lost my marriage and I moved out of what was our family home."
Reflecting on the impact of the break-up on her mental health, Fern told the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine, "Looking back, I don’t think I was as sane as I thought I was at the time. I’m rebuilt and I’m doing okay. I was not suicidal, but life had knocked me for six. I was lost, then I found a bit of purpose again and it’s been lovely."
She added, "We simply needed to follow our paths. Over time we realized we weren’t necessarily having the kind of life we once did. It seemed right to say, ‘Thank you,’ and move on."
