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Wales Online
30 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
'I left husband and kids for mud hut with my Kenyan toyboy - but things soon turned sour'
'I left husband and kids for mud hut with my Kenyan toyboy - but things soon turned sour' Cheryl Thomasgood, now 65, left her husband and three children to be with a Maasai warrior in Kenya, but says the romance was a disaster and she still regrets it Cheryl and Daniel wed wearing traditional Masai clothing A woman who abandoned her husband and three children to start a relationship with a Maasai warrior in Kenya has spoken out about her regrets and the emotional impact of that period in her life. Now 65 and living peacefully in a coastal town in Somerset, Cheryl Thomasgood has broken her silence more than three decades after her story gained global attention. Her choice to swap her comfortable suburban existence on the Isle of Wight for the remote Samburu region of Kenya in 1994 was motivated, she now admits, by a desire for spiritual healing and an escape from personal trauma. Cheryl was 34 when she met Daniel Lekimencho, a Maasai warrior who performed traditional dances for tourists at the Bamburi Beach Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya. Captivated by his charm and the appeal of a completely different lifestyle, she ended her marriage to her second husband, Mike and left their three children behind to begin a new life in Kenya with Daniel, who was ten years her junior, reports the Mirror. Cheryl met Daniel on a package holiday to Kenya (Image: YouTube ) Article continues below Cheryl fully embraced Daniel's world - living in a mud hut, cooking over open fires, and adopting aspects of Maasai culture, including a diet of cabbage and cow's blood. However, as time passed, the stark differences between their backgrounds and expectations started to put pressure on the relationship. In 1995, the couple made their way back to the UK, tying the knot on Valentine's Day in traditional Maasai attire and setting up home on the Isle of Wight with Cheryl's children. They later welcomed a daughter, Mitsi, now 27. However, Cheryl recounts that the idyllic life they envisioned began to crumble swiftly. Daniel, who was once deeply rooted in Maasai spirituality and tradition, allegedly shifted his focus towards material wealth and status. "I felt like I was just a meal ticket," Cheryl confided to MailOnline. "I made a huge mistake, and I have a lot of regrets - especially about how it affected my children." Cheryl said Daniel's Maasai heritage meant the couple had big cultural differences (stock photo) (Image: Yellow Dog Productions via Getty Images ) Cheryl describes how Daniel's aspirations grew to include a larger house, designer clothes, and sending money back to relatives in Kenya. Their arguments became frequent, and the spiritual bond they once cherished dissipated. According to Cheryl, the only moments Daniel seemed happy were when he was performing his traditional Maasai dance in the garden. "He would say that he was getting ready for battle and wanted to jump as high as an elephant. The kids loved it, but it got on my nerves after a while." Cheryl suggests that cultural differences and the challenges of adapting to British society played a significant role in their separation in 1999, a mere four years following their wedding and just one year after their child Mitsi was born. She admits that part of her drive to remain in the marriage was to defy the sceptics. When they met, Cheryl was dealing with childhood trauma and an unhappy marriage. Upon the advice of a choir friend, she travelled to Kenya seeking solace. Daniel with the couple's daughter Misti (Image: EX ) However, Cheryl found that the relationship acted merely as a brief respite rather than a cure. She confessed: "The biggest regret of all was the impact on my children. Daniel tried, but he couldn't be the father they needed. They missed out on having a stable male figure." Now, Cheryl has reconciled with her history and maintains strong bonds with her four children: Steve, aged 43, Tommy, 41, Chloe, 34, and Mitsi, 27. Mitsi, she reflects, was "the one good thing" to emerge from her time with Daniel. Despite the turmoil, Cheryl has no intentions of remarrying. She quipped: "Three marriages were enough," dubbing them a "hat-trick of disasters." Article continues below The mum urged anyone pursuing a holiday romance to "be careful" as you could end up "regretting it for the rest of your life". Daniel has stayed in the UK after their split and now works in a supermarket on the Isle of Wight.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Mum leaves husband and kids for toyboy she met on 'spiritual' holiday
Cheryl Thomasgood, now 65, left her husband and three children in the UK to be with a Maasai warrior in Kenya - but she says the relationship was doomed from the start. A woman who abandoned her husband and three children to start a relationship with a Masai warrior in Kenya has spoken out about her regrets and the emotional impact of that period in her life. Now 65 and residing peacefully in a coastal town in Somerset, Cheryl Thomasgood has broken her silence more than three decades after her tale garnered global attention, reports the Mirror. Her choice to swap her comfortable suburban existence on the Isle of Wight for the remote Samburu region of Kenya in 1994 was motivated, she now admits, by a profound desire for spiritual healing and an escape from personal trauma. Cheryl was 34 when she encountered Daniel Lekimencho, a Maasai warrior who performed traditional dances for tourists at the Bamburi Beach Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya. Captivated by his charm and the appeal of a completely different lifestyle, she ended her marriage to second husband Mike and left their three children behind to begin a new life in Kenya with Daniel, who was ten years her junior. Cheryl threw herself into Daniel's world - living in a mud hut, cooking on open fires, and embracing aspects of Masai culture, including a diet of cabbage and cow's blood. However as time passed, the stark differences between their backgrounds and expectations started to put pressure on the relationship. In 1995 the couple made a romantic return to British shores, tying the knot on Valentine's Day in traditional Masai attire and setting up home on the Isle of Wight with Cheryl's children. They later welcomed their daughter Mitsi, now aged 27. But Cheryl recalls the idyll crumbling rapidly. Daniel allegedly shifted from being a man deeply rooted in spirituality and Masai teachings to one fixated with material gains and social standing. Cheryl told MailOnline her deep-seated regrets and how the marriage impacted her children, saying she "felt like I was just a meal ticket" and "I made a huge mistake, and I have a lot of regrets - especially about how it affected my children." According to Cheryl, Daniel developed an appetite for a more lavish lifestyle, yearning for a grander abode, high-end clothes, and funds to support relatives back in Kenya, leading to frequent disputes and the diminishing of their once spiritual bond. Cheryl recounted the rare moments of joy when Daniel would leap around the garden performing his ancestral Masai dance. She said: "He would say that he was getting ready for battle and wanted to jump as high as an elephant. The kids loved it, but it got on my nerves after a while." Ultimately, Cheryl believes the cultural divide and the struggle to adapt to life in the UK played a part in their separation in 1999, only four years post-marriage and a mere year after Mitsi's birth. She concedes a factor in persisting with the marriage was the desire to defy the doubters. When they first met, Cheryl was contending with childhood trauma and stuck in an unhappy marriage. Spurred on by a friend from her church choir, she embarked on a journey to Kenya seeking serenity. However, she found the relationship with Daniel to be more of an interim respite than an actual resolution. Cheryl confessed: "The biggest regret of all was the impact on my children. Daniel tried, but he couldn't be the father they needed. They missed out on having a stable male figure." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. These days, Cheryl has reconciled with her past and boasts robust bonds with all four of her offspring: Steve, 43; Tommy, 41; Chloe, 34; and Mitsi, 27. She refers to Mitsi as "the one good thing" to emerge from her involvement with Daniel. Despite navigating emotional turmoil, Cheryl dismissed any thoughts of walking down the aisle once more. "Three marriages were enough," she declared, denoting them as a "hat-trick of disasters." The mother imparted a word of caution to those contemplating a holiday romance, warning it might lead to lifelong remorse. On the other hand, Daniel stayed put in the UK following their split and is currently employed at a supermarket on the Isle of Wight.
Edinburgh Live
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Mum-of-three leaves husband and kids for toyboy - but 'regrets it for life'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A woman who abandoned her husband and three children to start a relationship with a Masai warrior in Kenya has spoken out about her regrets and the emotional impact of that period in her life. Now 65 and residing peacefully in a coastal town in Somerset, Cheryl Thomasgood has broken her silence more than three decades after her tale garnered global attention. Her choice to swap her comfortable suburban existence on the Isle of Wight for the remote Samburu region of Kenya in 1994 was motivated, she now admits, by a profound desire for spiritual healing and an escape from personal trauma. READ MORE - Kate Middleton's 'real fuss' over Prince William after spotting poignant note READ MORE - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle send 'strong message' to royals in personal video Cheryl was 34 when she encountered Daniel Lekimencho, a Masai warrior who performed traditional dances for tourists at the Bamburi Beach Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya. Captivated by his charm and the appeal of a completely different lifestyle, she ended her marriage to her second husband Mike and left their three children behind to embark on a new life in Kenya with Daniel, who was ten years her junior, reports the Mirror. Cheryl fully embraced Daniel's world - living in a mud hut, cooking over open fires, and adopting aspects of Masai culture, including a diet of cabbage and cow's blood. However, as time passed, the stark differences between their backgrounds and expectations began to put pressure on the relationship. In 1995, the love story that captivated many saw the couple return to the UK, marrying on Valentine's Day in traditional Masai attire and settling on the Isle of Wight with Cheryl's children. They soon welcomed their daughter Mitsi, now 27, into their lives. However, Cheryl describes how the fairy tale began to unravel rather quickly. Daniel, who was once deeply spiritual and rooted in Masai traditions, reportedly shifted his focus towards material wealth and status. "I felt like I was just a meal ticket," Cheryl confided to MailOnline. "I made a huge mistake, and I have a lot of regrets - especially about how it affected my children." According to Cheryl, Daniel started desiring a larger house, designer clothes, and funds to send to relatives back in Kenya, which led to increasing arguments and the dimming of their spiritual bond. Daniel's moments of joy, Cheryl recalls, were when he was leaping about in the garden, engrossed in his traditional Masai dance. "He would say that he was getting ready for battle and wanted to jump as high as an elephant. The kids loved it, but it got on my nerves after a while." Cheryl attributed their eventual parting in 1999, a mere four years post-nuptials and a year after Mitsi arrived, to cultural differences and the challenges of adapting to life in Britain. She also acknowledges that her determination to stay in the marriage was partly driven by a desire to disprove detractors. During their initial encounter, Cheryl was confronting childhood traumas and entangled in an unhappy marriage. Seeking solace, she journeyed to Kenya on the advice of a mate from her church choir, searching for tranquillity. She found, however, that the relationship merely offered a brief respite instead of a real cure. She conceded: "The biggest regret of all was the impact on my children. Daniel tried, but he couldn't be the father they needed. They missed out on having a stable male figure." Cheryl has since made peace with her history and maintains robust bonds with her four offspring: Steve, aged 43, Tommy at 41, Chloe who is 34, and Mitsi, the youngest at 27. She praises Mitsi as "the one good thing" that emerged from her time with Daniel. In spite of the psychological toll, Cheryl declares she harbours no aspirations to wed again, stating firmly, "Three marriages were enough," and branding them a "hat-trick of disasters." This mum cautions anyone swept up in a holiday romance to "be careful" lest it becomes something you "regretting it for the rest of your life". On another note, Daniel has chosen to stay in the UK post-split and now earns his living at a supermarket on the Isle of Wight.
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Mum leaves husband and kids for toyboy holiday romance - but it ends in disaster
Cheryl Thomasgood left her husband and three children to start a new life with a Masai warrior in Kenya. Now, she's opened up about her regrets and shared a warning about holiday romances A woman who left her husband and three children to pursue a relationship with a Masai warrior in Kenya has opened up about her regrets and the emotional toll of that chapter in her life. Now 65 and living quietly in a seaside town in Somerset, Cheryl Thomasgood has broken her silence more than three decades after her story captured international attention. Her decision to leave her comfortable suburban life on the Isle of Wight for the remote Samburu region of Kenya in 1994 was driven, she now says, by a deep yearning for spiritual healing and escape from personal trauma. Cheryl was 34 when she met Daniel Lekimencho, a Masai warrior who performed traditional dances for tourists at the Bamburi Beach Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya. Struck by his charisma and the allure of a vastly different way of life, she ended her marriage to her second husband Mike and left behind their three children to start a new life in Kenya with Daniel, who was ten years her junior. Cheryl immersed herself in Daniel's world - living in a mud hut, cooking over open fires, and adopting elements of Masai culture, including a diet of cabbage and cow's blood. But over time, the stark contrast between their backgrounds and expectations began to strain the relationship. In 1995, the couple returned to the UK, married on Valentine's Day in traditional Masai clothing, and settled on the Isle of Wight with Cheryl's children. They later had a daughter, Mitsi, now 27. But Cheryl says the dream unravelled quickly. Daniel, once deeply spiritual and grounded in Masai tradition, reportedly became increasingly preoccupied with material wealth and status. "I felt like I was just a meal ticket," Cheryl told MailOnline. "I made a huge mistake, and I have a lot of regrets - especially about how it affected my children." Cheryl claims that Daniel began wanting for a bigger home, designer gear and cash to send home to Kenyan relatives. They began to argue a lot, and the spiritual connection they once shared faded. Cheryl says the only time Daniel was happy was when the Kenyan warrior was jumping around in the garden doing his traditional Masai dance. She added: "He would say that he was getting ready for battle and wanted to jump as high as an elephant. The kids loved it, but it got on my nerves after a while." Cheryl believes cultural differences and the pressures of assimilating into British life contributed to their eventual split in 1999, just four years after they married and a year after Mitsi's birth. She admits that part of her motivation for staying in the relationship was to prove critics wrong. At the time of their meeting, Cheryl was battling childhood trauma and struggling in an unhappy marriage. Encouraged by a friend from her church choir, she travelled to Kenya in hopes of finding peace. Instead, she says, the relationship served as a temporary escape rather than a solution. She admitted: "The biggest regret of all was the impact on my children. Daniel tried, but he couldn't be the father they needed. They missed out on having a stable male figure." Cheryl is now at peace with her past and has strong relationships with all four of her children: Steve, 43, Tommy, 41, Chloe, 34, and Mitsi, 27. She describes Mitsi as "the one good thing" that came from her time with Daniel. Despite the emotional fallout, Cheryl says she has no desire to marry again. "Three marriages were enough," she said, calling them a "hat-trick of disasters." The mum urged anyone pursuing a holiday romance to "be careful" as you could end up "regretting it for the rest of your life". Daniel, meanwhile, remained in the UK after their separation and now works in a supermarket on the Isle of Wight.
Scottish Sun
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Hairdresser who left hubby & 3 kids for toyboy Masai warrior after Kenya holiday reveals how story ended
The strange couple's marriage fell apart soon after they moved to the UK 'MEAL TICKET' Hairdresser who left hubby & 3 kids for toyboy Masai warrior after Kenya holiday reveals how story ended A WOMAN who left her husband and three children for a Masai warrior "holiday husband" has revealed the regret she feels over her bizarre love affair. Decades after swapping her comfortable, suburban life on the Isle of Wight for a remote region of Kenya, Cheryl Thomasgood has spoken out on her disastrous marriage to a tribal Kenyan warrior. 9 Cheryl married her tribal toy boy Daniel in 1995 but the pair divorced just four years later Credit: Colin Shephard 9 Cheryl has now revealed why she believes the couples marriage broke down Credit: Youtube She explained how she felt she was used as a "meal ticket" by Masai warrior Daniel Lekimencho who she met at the Bamburi Beach Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya. Cheryl was just 34 when she became besotted with the tribesman who travelled to her hotel as part of a group that performed traditional Masai dancing for tourists. Within weeks of meeting the hunky warrior Cheryl had dumped her second husband, Mike Mason, and their three children to be with her new tribal toy boy. The 6ft 2-inch-tall Kenyan warrior was ten years younger than Cheryl when they met and struck up an intimate relationship. Shortly after meeting the dashing warrior Cheryl flew home briefly to tell her husband Mike that their marriage was over before jetting back to the Samburu region of Kenya to live with her new man. Cheryl and her new partner made headlines across the globe with people left gobsmacked at her decision to abandon the comfortable middle-class life for a new home and partner in rural Kenya. Cheryl's life now consisted of helping the warrior cook, clean and hunt, sleeping on goatskin and surviving on a diet of cow's blood and cabbage in a mud hut. Cheryl and Daniel eventually decided to leave the hardships of life in remote Kenya behind and planned to have children in the UK. The bizarre pair returned to the Isle of Wight in 1995 and married on Valentine's Day, both wore traditional Masai clothing to the ceremony. Their marriage produced a daughter, Mitsi, who is now 27-years-old, before it came to an abrupt end. Cheryl has spoken out for the first time, more than 30 years later, after the couple's relationship fell apart when her spiritual husband became obsessed with wealth. She describes feeling used as a "meal ticket" in an emotional interview with the MailOnline. Having reached an age where she wants to reflect on her life Cheryl chose to speak out about her "tormented" relationship with Masai warrior Daniel. She said: "I made a huge mistake, it was very wrong of me, and I have a lot of regrets, especially about how it damaged my children." 9 After marrying in 1995 they had a daughter together Credit: Youtube 9 The pair made headlines with their relationship Credit: Youtube Cheryl split with Daniel in 1999 just four years after they were married and one year after their daughter was born. Now, 65-year-old Cheryl lives alone in a seaside town in Somerset where she is well known among the local community. She has kept her controversial past hidden from the community with none of her friends aware of the bizarre relationship she once had with the Masai warrior. Cheryl has been doing a lot of thinking about her relationship and the damage it caused her and her family. She explained how her and her Masai lover became inseparable after meeting and would often discuss the Masai way of life, culture and focus on spiritual over material wealth. But Cheryl has now told how shortly after arriving in the UK Daniel became obsessed with material things and money. The odd couple lived in Newport on the Isle of Wight with Cheryl's three children after coming to the UK. Cheryl explained that Daniel quickly changed his outlook on life, becoming ever more obsessed with money and material gain, she described her warrior husband becoming a different person inf ront of her eyes. Cheryl believed she had met and married a spiritual warrior but described Daniel turning into more of a Victor Meldrew type character later in their relationship. She detailed how Daniel quickly became moody and miserable over the couples lot in life, wanting more money and more possessions, changed by life in the UK. The couple began to argue often with Cheryl seeing Daniel's spiritualism evaporating before the lure of middle-class living. Daniel reportedly began wanting for a bigger home, designer gear and cash to send home to Kenyan relatives. Cheryl recalled the only time Daniel being happy was when the Kenyan warrior was jumping around in the garden doing his traditional Masai dance. 9 Cheryl and Daniel eventually divorced in 1999 Credit: Youtube 9 The couple no longer keep in touch Credit: Youtube 9 Cheryl said Daniel changed shortly after arriving in the UK Credit: Youtube She added: "He would say that he was getting ready for battle and wanted to jump as high as an elephant. The kids loved it, but it got on my nerves after a while." Cheryl began to question Daniel's motives in being with her after witnessing his transformation and new obsession with material wealth. Cheryl doubted that Daniel loved her and felt as if she had been used by the Masai warrior for material gain, beginning to think Daniel saw her as an escape route from his tribal life in Kenya. Her doubts set in soon after the pair married in the UK but she chose to stick out their relationship to prove to the people who doubted them that it could work. Trying to pinpoint what went wrong in the peculiar relationship Cheryl blamed a slew of drastic cultural differences between her and her husband. She reportedly felt that adjusting to life in the UK was too tough for Daniel and his struggles assimilating, combined with the pressure on the pair to make their relationship work, led to the eventual end of their marriage. Cheryl admitted that she suffered sexual abuse as a young girl and spoke about the harrowing difficulties she faced growing up in a dysfunctional London household with alcoholic parents, she was reportedly contemplating suicide at the time she met Daniel. She revealed how she was urged to go on her Kenyan holiday by a friend who was in the same church choir as her, the pair went on the holiday that would change her life forever together. When Cheryl went to Kenya she was at a low point in her life she said, suffering with childhood trauma and stuck in an unhappy marriage to her second husband Mike. She had seen Daniel was an answer to her problems, believing he could help her heal and find peace through spirituality. Cheryl now admits that her love affair with the Masai warrior was just an escape from her problems and not an answer to them. Asked about what she regrets the most about her time with her warrior toy boy, Cheryl said: "The impact all this had on my children. Having a Masai warrior as a father was not easy for them. Daniel was trying his best, but he could never understand the Western ways and couldn't be the dad that they needed." Cheryl said that her children had missed out on having a proper father figure in their lives because of her relationship with Daniel and the break down of her first two marriages. Despite having no contact with Daniel Cheryl maintains that she still has good relationships with all of her children, referring to her daughter Mitsi as "the one good thing" to come out of her and Daniel's strange and difficult marriage. Her eldest son Steve is now aged 43 while his brother Tommy is 41, her daughter Chloe is aged 34 and Mitsi is 27. Cheryl insists that she loves her new quiet life and has zero intention of marrying again following a hattrick of "disasters." Following the pairs disastrous marriage and eventual split Masai warrior Daniel remained on the Isle of Wight where he now works in a supermarket. 9 Daniel reportedly became obsessed with designer gear and cash Credit: Youtube
