Friends of Tess Daly and Vernon Kaye have reportedly challenged the A-list couple's assertion their split is "amicable".
The former Strictly presenter, 57, and the Radio 2 DJ, 51, announced in a shock joint statement earlier this month that they have decided to part ways.
They said they were separating “amicably” and “remain great friends and, most importantly, fully committed to our roles as loving and supportive parents”.
A member of Daly and Kay's friendship circles told the Mail on Sunday that they’d happily decided to call an end to their marriage was "c**p".
The newspaper reported that Daly is actually "seething" and her friends are said to be furious at Kay because, at the heart of his estranged wife’s anger, is Rhian Sugden, the former Page 3 model whom Vernon was revealed to have been "sexting" in 2010.
Friends say "the ghost of Rhian" has hung over their marriage ever since, even there is no suggestion anything untoward happened between the pair.
"Tess isn’t as chilled about the split as is being put out there", says a source familiar with the couple told the Mail.
"She has gone along with the announcement and has publicly remained silent but in fact she isn’t very happy at all with Vernon," they claimed.
"Rhian, through no fault of her own, has been a constant in their marriage and recently, friends of Tess have been talking about how her ghost has returned. Tess tried so hard to get over it at the time. It took everything out of her to move on and forget about Rhian."
In 2010 Kay admitted he sent explicit texts to around five women, going on to apologise to hundreds of thousands of listeners on the Radio 1 show he hosted at the time.
He interrupted the programme to tell his two million listeners he had been “foolish and stupid”.
A month later, Daly said their partnership was “worth fighting for” because they had had “10 great years together” and shared “two beautiful kids”.
Meanwhile friends of Kaye have reportedly claimed Daly has "changed" and has "ideas of grandeur" that go beyond him and their friendship group.
"For a long time her friends have said that Vernon’s laddish ways have been a hindrance to where she wants to be when it comes to socializing," one friend is said to have told the Mail.
The couple, who married in September 2003 and share two daughters, said when they split there are no other parties involved in the decision.
In a joint statement shared on Instagram, they said: “After much consideration, and with a deep sense of care and respect for one another, we have made the decision to separate amicably.
“This has not been an easy choice, but it comes from a place of mutual understanding and a shared desire for what is best for both of us.
“We remain great friends and more importantly, fully committed to our roles as loving and supportive parents, which will always be our priority.
“There are no other parties involved in this decision. We kindly ask for privacy during this time as we navigate this transition together.
“We will not be making any further public comments. Tess and Vernon.”
Kay last week said he and Daly wanted to thank BBC Radio 2 listeners for their support.
