Chris Tarrant's ex-wife details 'insane' way she discovered his seven-year affair

Edinburgh Live

06-05-2025

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Ingrid Tarrant, the ex-wife of Chris Tarrant, has shared her story of how she uncovered his infidelity.
The 70-year-old grew suspicious of the TV presenter, 78, 15 years into their marriage which began in 1991.
While Chris denied any wrongdoing when she confronted him, Ingrid's intuition told her otherwise.
She recounted on the Suddenly Single podcast: "Something was telling me he was lying. So, I thought the only way to be sure is to put a private detective on him."
Finding it difficult to plant a tracking device in his car, Ingrid made up a lie about why she needed to borrow his vehicle. After securing his consent, she said: "It took them ages to fit it [the device]."
Additionally, the mother-of-two hid a phone in her husband's second car to monitor his movements.
Reflecting on the ordeal, she shared: "I had to keep secretly charging it and there were moments when I thought, 'This is insane'.
"I'd be quietly getting the keys, shimmying out to the car to get the phone and charge it."
The experience led to numerous restless nights for Ingrid, especially as Chris would wake up early. Nevertheless, her efforts eventually confirmed her suspicions.
(Image: (Image: GETTY))
After being confronted with a picture that verified Chris' affair, Ingrid admitted she still felt shocked.
"Call me naive, but I was so surprised. I had to have a photograph so there was no mistake," she recalled.
It later emerged that the TV host had been secretly dating a 50-year-old primary school deputy headteacher for seven years.
When the affair became public in 2006, he issued an apology for the damage caused.
Chris expressed his remorse stating he was "deeply sorry" and confessed: "I have only myself to blame for the breakdown of my marriage."
The former couple, who are parents to two children, finalised their divorce in 2007 after 16 years of marriage.
Nowadays, Ingrid enjoys life as a happily single and celibate woman, who questions the need for another relationship. She said: "Women can just switch off, it's like food. If I eat breakfast, I'm hungry all day long.
"If you're not having sex, you go through the sex-starved hunger pangs and then nothing, I don't miss it at all."
She went on to say: "Do I really want to get back into all that with another man?
"I don't know that I do! I have a great social life, I like having an empty nest and I don't feel lonely at all."
Chris, on the other hand, remains in a long-tern relationship with Jane Bird, who he met shortly after he and Ingrid legally parted ways.