Fern Britton is currently taking part in Celebrity Big Brother and has kept her lips sealed about a lot of her life for the time being.
Britton worked on the ITV daytime show This Morning from 1999 to 2009 and became a household name for TV.
During her time in the industry, her marriage to TV chef Phil Vickery was public and a lot of people rooted for their relationship.
However, their marriage came to an end in 2020, leaving Britton to struggle with a series of events that followed.
Speaking to Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine, she explained: “We simply needed to follow our own paths.
“Over time we realised we weren’t necessarily having the kind of life we once did. It seemed right to say ‘thank you’ and move on.
Fern and Phil divorced in 2020
GETTY
“It was tricky because my mum and my father died very close to each other and unfortunately Phil and I divorced and the pandemic came.
“So Cornwall wrapped itself around me after a very difficult set of events.”
She lived there during the Covid pandemic with her daughters Winnie and Grace which allowed her to focus on something else, but ultimately Fern was grieving.
“Looking back, I don’t think I was as sane as I thought I was at the time. I remember endless days of indolence, not being able to go anywhere, not doing anything, not wanting to get out of bed,” she added.
Fern was also reluctant to speak about Phillip Schofield
ITV
Britton’s stint in the Big Brother house meant it came with a lot of questions about her thoughts on the recent saga with This Morning and her relationship with Phillip Schofield.
The pair worked together from 2000 to 2009 and at first things were like a fairytale, but it became tainted and their friendship came to an end.
Speaking about what she would say when faced with the topic, she admitted: “They probably will ask me. I will truthfully say I have nothing to tell them about This Morning over the last few years, because I haven’t been there.
“To leave This Morning? Ultimately, yes. I loved it and I would probably still be there if… Phillip and I were not getting on very well at that stage.”
Fern opened up about her relationship with Phil
ITV/GETTY
Just as she anticipated, Britton was faced with a line of questioning about her relationship with Schofield but Gary Goldsmith.
When approached with the idea that Schofield may arrive in the house as a surprise, she jibed: “Oh well, that didn’t happen yet. Maybe he’s coming in as a surprise. Well yes. I might have to leave at that point.”
