Latest news with #stageactress
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The 'real reason' behind Charley Webb and Matthew Wolfenden's shock split 'revealed' after Emmerdale stars parted ways after 15 years together
Charley Webb and her husband Matthew Wolfenden shocked fans after they announced their split back in 2023 after 15 years together and five years of marriage. It was the actress who called it quits on the relationship, and now it has been revealed why she reportedly decided it would be best for the two Emmerdale stars to go their separate ways. At the time of their split Charley, now 37, had left behind her role as Debbie Dingle in Emmerdale and was embarking on her first stage tour as Diana Ingram in Quiz. Amid rave reviews it was reportedly this new career accomplishment which made Charley reexamine her life and make the life changing decision. An insider told The Sun: 'It was the first time in years she was fully herself again, not mum, not Debbie - but a stage actress. 'There was a lot of downtime when she was on her own, and she really had a chance to think about what she wanted from her life.' Meanwhile Matthew, now 45, was back at the couple's home in Yorkshire looking after their children Buster, 15, Bowie, eight, and Ace, four, before getting ready to head to London with the stage version of Elf. It was during this production that he met his now girlfriend Heather Scott Martin and their relationship was later assumed to be the reason behind the split. The insider added: ''It was incredibly hard for Matthew because people saw him with Heather and assumed he was behind the split. He kept a dignified silence at the time and only decided to speak out about it all much later on.' Following the split the couple kept their house for another year before putting it on the market for £900,000 in January this year. Meanwhile Charley moved in fellow actress and best pal Sheridan Smith. Sheridan, 44, shares a son, Billy, with her former fiancé, Jamie Horn, and recently split with her boxer boyfriend, Dave Ryan. The pair have been huge supports for each other, both in their acting work and childcare. They even have a dog together and last year enjoyed a sun-soaked holiday in Greece. MailOnline have contacted both Charley and Matthew's representatives for comment. Matthew previously opened up about the split on the podcast The Lewis Nicholls Show back in May as he admitted: 'It was a tough time for me, it was a time of big changes, and then this on top of things wasn't the best news in the world. But things happen for a reason and yeah. 'It was a very very tough time, but these things happen, and I'm not the first person in the world to have separated from their partner with kids involved. 'It was the fact that the kids were quite young, and it wasn't only a couple of years ago. That was a concern to me. We had to move onwards.' He added: 'I didn't expect it at all, it was a big shock. Separation is very difficult when you've spent 15 years together, your lives together and everything you own is together - just sorting out.' Last year Matthew also opened up about the couple's co-parenting journey. He insisted during an appearance on Loose Women that he and Charley are still good friends and they work well together to find the best way to care for their three children. He said: 'I think we're still finding our way, the good thing is me and Charley we're still best mates. 'That's fantastic. It's all quite new to us still at the moment but we're still finding our feet, finding a way to do it and do it well. I think we are.' The couple announced their split in November 2023, with Charley writing on Instagram at the time: 'It is with love and respect that Matthew and I have decided to separate. 'We remain friends and our priority is the love for our children. For their sake we would appreciate privacy at this time.' Signs of trouble in their marriage first emerged earlier in the month when Matthew unfollowed his Charley on Instagram. A source told The Sun: 'Charley and Matthew were in very different places in their lives when they first got together. 'Three kids later and with new careers in the mix, everything has changed and perhaps they are no longer the unit they once were.'
The Sun
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The truth behind Charley Webb and Matthew Wolfenden's shock split that left him blindsided as she moved in with TV star
THEY appeared to have it all, flying careers, three beautiful boys and an impressive country mansion - but out of the blue, it all came crashing down for Matthew Wolfenden. His partner of 15 years, Charley Webb, brutally ended their marriage - and now for the first time, insiders have revealed why she decided to call it quits and move in with a star actress. 13 13 In 2023, Charley, now 37, embarked on her first stage tour. It was a big deal, landing a part playing Diana Ingram in Quiz - her first notable role since she quit playing Debbie Dingle in Emmerdale. And she shone on stage - Charley received rave reviews and insiders say it sparked a burning desire to take her life in a new direction. A source close to Charley said: 'It was a big turning point for her when she landed the role and took to the road. 'It was the first time in years she was fully herself again, not mum, not Debbie - but a stage actress. 'There was a lot of downtime when she was on her own, and she really had a chance to think about what she wanted from her life.' Husband Matthew was meanwhile at their home in Yorkshire, looking after their boys Buster, 15, Bowie, eight, and Ace, four, completely unaware of what was to come. He had just left Emmerdale and was getting ready to head to London for a stage show of his own. Charley moved back to the family home, while Matthew headed to London to appear in Elf, where he met and fell for his current girlfriend - Heather Scott Martin, who was also working in the production. An insider revealed: 'It was incredibly hard for Matthew because people saw him with Heather and assumed he was behind the split. Emmerdale star Charley Webb flaunts her toned abs as she strips to black bikini on holiday in Turkey 'He kept a dignified silence at the time and only decided to speak out about it all much later on. 'By that time, the dust had settled and Charley had found solace elsewhere.' And that new independent direction was supported by close pal and fellow stage and screen star Sheridan Smith. 'Out of the blue' Matthew, 45, has since spoken openly about the break up - admitting it wasn't his decision and he wouldn't have gone about it in the way Charley did, revealing his concern for their boys. He recalled: 'Out of the blue, I got this news that she wanted to separate. 13 13 'It was a tough time for me, it was a time of big changes, and then this on top of things wasn't the best news in the world. But things happen for a reason and yeah. 'It was a very very tough time, but these things happen, and I'm not the first person in the world to have separated from their partner with kids involved. 'It was the fact that the kids were quite young, and it wasn't only a couple of years ago. That was a concern to me. We had to move onwards.' He added on the podcast The Lewis Nicholls Show: 'I didn't expect it at all, it was a big shock. Separation is very difficult when you've spent 15 years together, your lives together and everything you own is together - just sorting out.' 'Huge support' Once he returned from London, the former couple kept their house for another year before putting it on the market for £900,000 in January this year. After Charley moved out in late 2023, she move in with best pal Sheridan finding comfort with her fellow single mum, an award winning TV, film and stage star. Sheridan, 44, shares a son, Billy, with her former fiancé, Jamie Horn, and recently split with her boxer boyfriend, Dave Ryan. The pals' bond grew further last summer when they jetted off to Greece for a sun-soaked holiday. The two even spent Christmas together, which Charley called her 'favourite Christmas yet', sharing joyful snaps of their celebrations. Charley became a big part of Billy's life and has supported Sheridan, who she calls 'bae', with childcare while she works. 13 13 A friend revealed: 'Sheridan and Charley have both been huge supports for each other. 'They have been through similar things and have also bonded over their love of acting. 'They love spending time together and even got a dog together. 'Their kids are all really close now too, so it just works really well.' We're always going to have a relationship. Matthew Wolfenden Initially, things were frosty between Charley and Matthew as they tried to work out their new arrangement, but the former couple have put their differences aside and found a way forward. Matthew explained: 'Everything was a bit up in the air for the first few months, but we're very very amicable, we're still friends and we've got kids together, so you have to be. 'We had the best 15 years together, and we had three amazing kids together. But in terms of co-parenting, we decided we'd do a week on, week off.' And for now, the situation seems to be working well - Matthew is still with his new love, Heather, Charley is landing exciting new roles, but most importantly, their children are happy. It's thought Charley was slightly perturbed about Matthew's decision to air their dirty laundry, but she is happy to move on. She recently jetted off on a girls' holiday to Bodrum, Turkey and delighted fans with a series of bikini snaps as she relished her new independence before flying home to Sheridan. The friend added: 'Matthew might have been blindsided about the split, but he has managed to work through his initial shock and concern. He feels better that people know it wasn't his choice. 'They have really shown how to co-parent properly and are determined to keep things amicable - no matter what.' 13
