Rachel Stevens has opened up about her "painful" divorce from her husband for the first time.
The singer was married to childhood sweetheart Alex Bourne for 12 years before they split in July last year.
Scarred from her own parents' divorce when she was a child, she wants to protect her children whilst being honest with them.
The pair knew each other when they were younger, but bumped into each other again in Selfridges in London.
Before meeting Alex she was planning on moving to Los Angeles following a string of failed relationships.
Rachel and Alex have two daughters together - Amelie, 12 and Minnie, eight.
“It’s very hard to articulate the feelings, because there are so many. It’s been really painful, really sad. It’s been the biggest decision to make in our lives, obviously, with our kids,” she told The Sun.
Rachel and Alex tied the knot in 2009 at Claridge's.
Her own parents Michael and Linda split when she was 17 years old and she said it had a huge impact on her mental health.
“I worried about the girls having the experience I had,” she admits. “We’ve had some amazing advice on how to speak to them. They know how much we love them and we are not going anywhere.
"Our split is very amicable and that’s really helping. It’s only the last two weeks that we’ve not been living together. That was definitely difficult. We’re doing it with love and respect, but it’s a process."
She said that she fully expected her and Alex to "mess up and make mistakes", but said she plans on being transparent with her family.
Rachel embarked on therapy after her parents' split and said how much it helped her to process the break-up.
She also credited therapy for helping her to become a better parent and stronger communicator.
Following her split, she moved from the family's home in north London with her daughters and found somewhere new.
The S Club 7 star joked that she was "drowning in boxes" but that she's finding the decorating process "exciting".
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Rachel said that her new place feels "empowering", but added that there are times when she finds the whole process "scary".
The singer said that despite having date offers, she's not ready to get back on the scene.
Rachel, who featured on FHM's 100 Sexiest Women list 11 times, said that she has lots going on and wants to focus on adjusting to her new life.
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