Celebrity Big Brother‘s Fern Britton suffered a heartbreak that led to her marriage with Phil Vickery ending. Fern, 66, has been married twice and insists she won’t tie the knot again, happily embracing her single life.

She was married to TV executive Clive Jones for more than a decade, during which they had three children: twins Jack and Harry, and daughter Grace.

In 2000, the same year as her divorce from Clive, Fern got hitched to famous television chef Phil Vickery. They met on the set of BBC Two’s Ready Steady Cook, had a daughter named Winnie together, and shared 20 years of married life before their unexpected break up in 2020.

The end of their marriage rocked the entertainment industry, yet according to Fern, it had been brewing for some time. She disclosed how they ‘grew apart’ over the final stages of their union.

On Good Morning Britain in 2020, Fern said: “My mum died and my father died and unfortunately Phil and I fell apart.”

Fern tragically lost her parents just a few months apart, her dad Tony passing in December 2019 and her mum in April 2018. In 2021, during an emotional discussion on the Book Club podcast about losing her loved ones, she stated: “Too much happened in the past couple of years – I’ve lost my marriage and I moved out of what was our family home.”

In 2022, Fern’s ex-husband Phil was spotted smooching with her close friend, Lorraine Stanton. Despite this, Fern gave her assurance that they remain pals.

She told Woman and Home magazine, “We simply needed to follow our own paths.”

In a heartwarming moment, she shared: “We will always be connected.”

She reflected on their relationship saying: “Over time we realised we weren’t necessarily having the kind of life we once did. It seemed right to say ‘thank you’ and move on. But we do have a good friendship. Phil and I had the greatest fun together and we have the most beautiful daughter together, Winnie… so we will always be connected.”

Embracing her new stage in life, Fern remarked: “Life has changed for me in the last 10 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.”

Fern also made a surprising revelation in OK! Magazine last year. “I’m not ready to settle down yet and will not get married again,” she said, but added she’s open to a new relationship.

She shared: “I don’t want anything much at all – just somebody who’s there. That would be lovely.”

Explaining her ideal partner, she listed kindness, intelligence, humour and conversation skills as key qualities.