Fern Britton speaks out on 'very low' times after split from Phil Vickery following 20 year marriage
2 March 2020, 08:30
TV star Fern Britton has said she needed to 'follow her own path' following the breakdown of her marriage to Phil Vickery.
Fern Britton has opened up about her split from Phil Vickery for the first time, admitting ‘it’s been a difficult year’.
The 62-year-old announced the shock separation earlier this year, writing on Twitter at the time: “After more than 20 happy years together, Phil and I have decided to go our separate ways.
“We will always share a great friendship and our lovely children.”
And speaking out on what life has been like since the break up, Fern has now told Woman & Home magazine: “There are times when I’ve been very low.
“It was a difficult year, but now I’m fine again. Phil and I are both OK. We simply needed to follow our own paths.
“We realised we weren’t having the kind of life we once did. It seemed right to say ‘thank you’ and move on.”
Fern met celebrity chef Phil, 58, on the set of Ready Steady Cook, where they worked together back in 1999.
They married in 2000 and went on to have daughter Winnie Vickery, 18, together. Fern is also mum to twins Harry and Jack Jones, 26, and daughter Grace Jones, 23, from her first marriage to TV executive, Clive Jones.
Speaking about their happy marriage, Fern said: “Phil and I had the greatest fun together and we have the most beautiful daughter together, Winnie. We will always be connected.”
She added: “Life has changed for me in the last ten years, especially with my career. So it's lovely to think I can just concentrate on writing, the kids and getting on with life. This feels quite comfortable, and Phil and I knew it was the right thing to do.”
Following her new-found independence, Fern went on to say she feels 're-powering' since turning 60 and wants to embrace life more.
The TV star added: “At this moment in my life I'm feeling really confident, strong and quite indestructible. There are times, of course, when I've been very low and finding life difficult.
“I’m getting there, and it’s really exciting.”
