Sue Perkins and Anna Richardson were seen as a showbiz power couple before their shock split last year.
The former Great British Bake Off host and Naked Attraction presenter got together in 2014 and shared a seven-year relationship before making the difficult decision to go their separate ways.
The couple had talked about starting a family and were left "devastated" by the break up, the Mirror reports.
Anna, who has appeared on screens fronting programmes such as Supersize vs Superskinny and The Sex Education show, has been single since her split from Sue in summer 2021.
She was previously in a relationship with drama director Charles Martin, but their called it quits after 18 years because he was "away all the time".
While Sue had also come out of a long term relationship with an artist she lived with in Cornwall when she met Anna at a fancy dress party in Devon.
They had known each other for three years, but something sparked between them on that night.
Describing the moment, Anna told Lorraine in 2015: "I was with my boyfriend for nearly 20 years and I’ve known Sue on the circuit but about a year and a half ago we met at a party and I was recently single and we just… all I can say, there was an understanding between us and for me the planets aligned and I just thought, this person, it’s not even about a woman, this person is absolutely extraordinary."
She continued: "It was an extraordinary connection - it’s been amazing."
Discussing how her parents reacted to her having a relationship with a woman, Anna said: "My Dad’s a vicar, my Mum’s an RE teacher so you would think ‘this isn't going to go down very well’ but actually they were really, really open to the whole thing and they can see that I’m happy!
"People become obsessed with sex and just want to know ‘what is it you do in bed?’ - it’s not about that, it’s about the person and it’s about the connection with that person and she is a wonderful human being and that’s what I’ve fallen in love with."
Anna moved into Sue's renovated home in North London and spoke openly about their romance, while Sue wasd much more coy in interviews.
If there needed to be any more evidence that it’s true love – Anna helped Sue beat the sugar addiction she gained after hosting Bake Off.
Anna had spoken about wanting to start a family with Sue, telling the Daily Mail in 2015: "I think because I'm 45 now I'm thinking long and hard about fostering and adopting. It would be nice to create a little unit."
She also told Hello! magazine : "For some time I've toyed with the idea of fostering or adopting a child.
"I can only speak for myself, not Sue, but I really want to do the training and welcome a child into my life."
She added: "I feel keenly that I'm getting older and time is running out."
Sadly, the news emerged in June last year that the couple were breaking up after seven years together.
"It's really sad," a source close to the pair reportedly said. "Both Anna and Sue are devastated."
The source added to The Sun: "We're all hoping they can patch things up and sort out their differences but for now it appears to be all over."
Fans of the pair noted that there may have been signs of cracks for the past nine months as it has been noticed that Anna didn’t reference her other half at all on social media during that time.
Anna last shared an update including Sue in September 2020 as she celebrated turning half a century old.
While a source told The Mirror that their relationship broke down over a disagreement over when to have children.
The insider said Sue was wanting to hold off expanding their family because of her 'work schedule and travelling.'
"Anna is devastated," they added.
The source also supported the rumour that the TV couple split up some time before the news was reported, claiming they did not spend Christmas or New Year's together.
Another source close to the couple described the break-up as 'amicable' and said both Anna and Sue were hoping to remain friends.
"After so long together it wasn’t an easy decision to make and they both did so with heavy hearts.
"But Sue and Anna are determined to remain friends and keep in touch," they said to Mail Online. "Nobody else is involved and now the pair are throwing themselves into work."
They did adopt a rescue dog, Tia, in 2017 and agreed to 'share custody' after the split.
"The only time they see each other now is when they hand the dog over to each other." a source has told MailOnline.
"They haven't spent much together in recent months, they've been living separate lives with Anna staying in Staffordshire and Sue remaining in London.
"'It's really sad they've split, but it's been on the cards for a while - Anna was really keen to be a mother, but Sue just didn't feel it was the right time for her."
This week, Anna spoke candidly about the agonies of breaking up in later life.
"No one can ever prepare you for it," she told The Mirror. "Even when it happens a handful of times in your life, you never quite get used to it."
"I suppose I don’t know whether you become more resilient as you get older, but heartbreak definitely is still that mystery that needs to be solved, and how to get over it and become stronger."
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