Ainsley Harriott opens up about his divorce after 23 years of marriage
Ainsley Harriott has opened up on his divorce with ex-wife Clare Fellows after 23 years of marriage.
The couple – who wed in 1989 and share two children – split in 2012, with the Ready Steady Cook star recalling the toll his celebrity status had on their relationship.
Speaking about being considered a national treasure on Rylan's How to Be in the Spotlight podcast, he said: "It’s other people who put you in that category, you don’t put yourself in there. You’re not someone who brings negativity, you’re someone who brings a smile.
"Most of the time people approach me, even if they bash their supermarket trolley into me, it’s always a lovely moment, been doing it for years. They still bring a tomato and a pepper, 'What you going to do with this?'. I smile, I have a little moment with them.
Related: Eamonn Holmes "not okay" as he offers update following Ruth Langsford split
"I think it’s difficult for partners. It was certainly difficult for my ex, and I think that probably contributed to our break-up because you are sharing the person that you love all the time and that is hard."
He opened up on how hard it was to maintain his upbeat, high-energy public persona while navigating his relationship breaking down.
Ainsley continued: "Because I was so natural if I felt a little bit down, they [the public] could see it, they could feel it. But at the same time, I was doing a programme that required you to be energetic and stuff like that.
"It doesn’t affect how you perform necessarily, but it lives with you and it’s when you come off stage and how you deal with it."
Related: Yellowstone's Kevin Costner makes rare divorce comment about ex-wife Christine Baumgartner
In 2020, the Can't Cook, Won't Cook star admitted to still having feelings for his ex-wife eight years since their split.
He told The Mirror: "My marriage didn’t last, but when I look at my beautiful children and the lovely relationship I have with them, there can be only positives.
"I still have love and feelings for my ex-wife, that never stops because she gave me the most important things in my life, and there is a respect there. But everyone moves on, and that's fine."
You Might Also Like
