Fern Britton said the new chapter of her life has come “at the right time” but she doesn’t want to be “the poster girl for separation” following her split from celebrity chef Phil Vickery after 20 years of marriage.
The former This Morning presenter and the TV chef announced the break-up of their marriage in January 2020, shortly after the death of her father, actor Tony Britton in December 2019.
They tied the knot in 2000, having met on the set of Ready Steady Cook. Britton announced the break-up on Twitter, saying the couple had decided to go their “separate ways.”
At the age of 64, she said she is “not considering dating right now” as she is happy in her own company.
Britton, who is the August cover star of Prima magazine, said: “I haven’t been seeing anyone and nobody has approached me, which is nice, too.
“If someone came along who was lovely and kind and we didn’t have to live together, if he had his life and I had mine, that might be perfect.
“But on the other hand, life is pretty bloody perfect right now and I’m happy with my company, so meeting someone would simply be icing on the cake.”
London-born Britton, who moved to Cornwall in 2019, added: “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.
“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.”
The presenter encouraged those in a similar situation to “have courage” during this time.
She said: “Get yourself financially independent, so you have the opportunity not to have to rely on anybody for anything.
“We can’t rely on somebody for our own happiness, let alone to look after us and keep us housed. Then, if you find yourself in a situation where you’re at a crossroads, have courage.”
Britton has children – twins Jack and Harry and daughter Grace – from her first marriage to TV executive Clive Jones, and daughter Winnie with Vickery.
She conceived her twins after four rounds of IVF.
“Nowadays, everyone is better educated about fertility, but I remember feeling very alone when I was going through IVF,” she said.
“There were few people I could talk to about it because it wasn’t really spoken about back then.
“I found it really difficult and very lonely – the crushing disappointment when it doesn’t work is unbelievable. I used to ‘put on my face’ for work; I called it my ‘Fern Britton pill’.
“You can’t work while you’re sobbing and crying, so I used to pick myself up, get on with my job and then drive home with tears running down my face.”
Britton, who has written novels including her latest, The Good Servant, said that she has overcome her imposter syndrome.
“I never planned to be a novelist, but when you get older, you get more confident. I’m now not afraid to fail, it’s just a rehearsal for winning.
“I’m starting to think that I don’t have to be apologetic about my work, I don’t have to doubt myself so much any more.”
The August issue of Prima is on sale from Thursday.