Fern Britton says Phil Vickery cut contact with her after her mum's death

Daily Record

a day ago

Former ITV This Morning presenter Fern Britton split from the celebrity chef in 2020 after 20 years of marriage, and she has now revealed he hasn't spoken to her in six years.
Fern Britton has disclosed that her ex-husband Phil Vickery stopped communication with her following the death of her mum. The television host, 67, and the This Morning chef were believed to have kept a "basic" level of contact after their 2020 split.
However, Fern has now shared that she hasn't heard from him since her mother Ruth passed away in 2018, reports the Mirror. Speaking to Yours magazine, Fern revealed: "He hasn't spoken to me for six years now. As soon as my mum died, he stopped talking to me."
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The Celebrity Big Brother star emphasises her efforts to refrain from speaking badly of Phil, especially for the sake of their 23-year-old daughter, Winnie.
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She explained: "Winnie adores him. I'm not going to bad-mouth him in front of her; at least, I try very hard not to. I was the child of divorced parents and my mum never bad-mouthed my father."
Fern also went through a divorce with her first husband, television executive Clive Jones, which was finalised in 2000 after they parted ways in 1998, ending a decade-long marriage.
The presenter, who has since left television to pursue novel writing, admits she has poured her personal experiences of heartache into her new passion.
Fern, who shares 31-year-old twin sons Jack and Harry and a 27-year-old daughter named Grace with Clive, confessed: "Like many people, I've been through divorce so I have an understanding of it. And that made it easier to write about in the new book."
The telly favourite recounted her gratitude for her children's encouragement following the death of her mum Ruth, and her dad, actor Tony Britton. She shared: "Mum was in her 90s but, no matter how old you are, you're still a child to somebody."
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Reflecting on the moment she broke the news, she said: "As soon as I heard, I went and told the girls; they were both living with me at that stage."
Fern humorously added: "'I'm an orphan, I announced and they burst out laughing. It was exactly the tonic I needed."
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After shrinking from a size 22 to a size 12 and shedding five stone post-gastric band surgery in 2006, Fern's weight began creeping back up due to the stresses tied to her separation from Phil after two decades of marriage.
Fern added: "It took me about a year to realise that I put a lot of weight on. Looking back, I was in a very bad place and gradually I started to pull myself out of it."
She also highlighted her ongoing commitment to health, particularly for her children's sake. Fern emphasised: "It is my duty to stay as healthy as I can for the sake of my children."
Lastly she stated: "I don't want them to feel guilty about not seeing me or be worried about me."