Fern Britton opened up about the end of her marriage with Phil Vickery just weeks before he was pictured kissing one of her close friends.
The This Morning chef, 61, has been pictured kissing his ex-wife Fern's best friend, Lorraine Stanton, two years on from their split - with the new couple pictured looking very close and cosy as they kissed and embraced one another on the street during a recent date in London.
Lorraine - who has known Fern for decades - carried a Fortnum & Masum bag as she leaned over a suitcase and an overnight bag for the kiss. An onlooker claimed the pair looked like "teenagers in love" during their romantic jaunt, and added how "that will be just so hurtful for Fern".
However, Fern seemingly shut down those source quotes and claims and addressed the pictures of her ex-husband and close pal on Friday morning [September 30], taking to Twitter to declare: "Good morning all. Just to clear up any concerns re @TheSun front page. It is not true."
Phil and Lorraine's recent outing comes just weeks after Fern admitted she doesn't want to be a 'poster girl' for divorce and reflected on the breakdown of her relationship after more than 20 years together - confessing she wishes she could have persevered through her marriage to Phil.
Fern and Phil announced their separation in January 2020 via a statement on Twitter which read: "After more than 20 happy years together, [we] have decided to go our separate ways. We will always share a great friendship and our lovely children.
"We would appreciate it if our privacy is respected at this time. Thank you for your continued kindness and support."
Speaking over two years on from the split, Fern explained to Prima magazine in July this year: "This new chapter has come at the right time for me. I don’t want to be the poster girl for separation, though, because a lot of people go through the same thing."
She added: "Often, the children leave home and you look at each other and go, ‘Ah, where do we go from here?’ I only wish I was the sort of person who could have persevered through that, but I couldn’t."
Fern went on to urge others to consider their options if they find themselves in an unhappy relationship, adding: "If you find yourself in a situation where you’re at a crossroads, have courage. Look into yourself and ask, ‘How do I feel?’
"If the answer is, ‘Pretty depressed,’ you don’t have to conform just because you think other people want you to. Do it for yourself."
Since splitting from Phil in 2020, Fern has been living in Cornwall after moving out of the family home in Buckinghamshire and focusing on her career with no plans to date anytime soon.
In her recent interview, Fern said it would be 'lovely' if someone came along but she wouldn't want to live with them due to being happy in her own company - going on to describe her life as 'bloody perfect' at the moment.
Phil and Fern first struck up a romance in 1999 when they met on the set of Ready Steady Cook - one year on from Fern's split from TV executive Clive Jones.
The pair went on to tie the knot the following year, after Fern's divorce was finalised, and enjoyed 20 years of marriage before announcing their split in 2020.
The former couple share daughter, Winnie, 20, together from their time as a couple. Fern is also mum to Grace, 25, and twins Jack and Harry, 28, who she shares with her ex-husband Clive.
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