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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Jessica Gibb

BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent 'splits' from husband of 13 years as he leaves home

BBC Breakfast host Sally Nugent has reportedly split from her husband of 13 years.

The 51-year-old TV star and her husband Gavin Hawthorn, 52, have decided to "amicably" end their marriage after apparently "growing apart".

The couple, who share a teenage son, are said to have been "moving in different directions" according to a source close to the pair.

The presenter has always kept details of her life behind the camera very private with the star never actually confirming her partner's name.

Even her BBC Breakfast profile page simply reads: "Sally is married with one child – a football and rugby mad boy."

Sally Nugent has reportedly split from her husband of 13 years Gavin Hawthorn (BBC)
Gavin Hawthorn has reportedly moved out of the couple's Cheshire home (LinkedIn)

"It's very sad but they are no longer together," the source told the Daily Mail.

"I think they tried to tough it out for quite a while as they didn't want to split up if they could possibly help it for the sake of their son but they clearly couldn't make a go of it.

"They've both been very guarded about the reasons behind their growing apart but it's been plain for a while that they had been and now it's obvious that they haven't been able to resolve that despite clearly trying for some time."

Sally previously gave fans an insight into her family life by revealing in an interview that it could be difficult finding something for all three members of her family to watch.

"My sofa is in my kitchen diner and there’s a giant flat-screen TV on the wall," she explained to Radio Times. "It’s tricky to get something that my husband, my 13-year-old son and I want to watch.

Sally Nugent is said to be devastated over the breakdown of her marriage (BBC)

"During lockdown, we all got hooked on Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix, but it’ll come as no surprise that I’m a news junkie."

Sally's career has rocketed in recent years, starting off her presenting career at BBC Radio Merseyside before joining BBC North West Tonight as a sports presenter.

She has featured on BBC Breakfast since 2011 but stepped into a permanent role on the famous red sofa alongside then-co-host Dan Walker following Louise Minchin's exit in 2021.

The much-loved TV star, 51, now shares the couch with Jon Kay.

According to LinkedIn, Sally's husband Gavin, 52, worked for Pets at Home in a senior marketing role before moving taking an investing opportunity at The Massage Company.

Sally has become a firm favourite with viewers thanks to her relaxed and friendly manner and eye-catching fashion sense that often leads to comments from fans on social media.

Earlier this year BBC followers flocked to Twitter to demand a change to the show's supposed rules after she stunned in tight biker jacket to present the news.

While Jon was dressed in his usual attire for the morning programme wearing a navy suit with a red tie, Sally opted for a slightly different look and matched a purple biker jacket that featured gold zip detailing with figure hugging black trousers.

The BBC Breakfast host finished off the look with black high heels and her outfit was commented on by several viewers.

Sally's eye-catching outfits often draw comments from viewers (BBC)

One wrote: "Biker girl vibes from @sallynugent this morning, gorgeous jacket," while another asked: "Has @sallynugent just come straight from clubbing in Manchester?"

Sally wore the biker jacket for the first time on the programme back in January and once again viewers took to Twitter to compliment the look.

"Loving the biker look, can't wait for Newswatch complainers :)," one fan tweeted and another wrote: "Loving your top this morning. Please can you tell me where it’s from?!"

Meanwhile, one fan questioned why the male presenters wear suits on BBC Breakfast while female presenters are able to sport more "fabulous" outfits.

They wrote: "How come the female presenters on @BBCBreakfast get to dress more fabulous and more casual than the male presenters who have to dress in more stiff looking suit and ties?

The Mirror has contacted Sally's representative for comment.

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