Fearne Cotton shocked fans when she announced she and husband Jesse Wood ended their marriage on Friday.
Their unexpected split comes after the pair celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in July with a fun Beckham-inspired photoshoot, looking more than loved-up.
It also comes as a surprise as they spent the summer on holiday with their children Rex, 11, and Honey, eight.
Fearne, 43, is also step-mum to Jesse’s, 48, children Arthur, 21, and Lola, 18, from his first marriage.
However in recent months, their marriage was hit with hardship with Fearne only having surgery last week two remove two tumours on her jawline.
The presenter took to her Instagram stories on Friday evening to announce their split and tell fans their priority is on their children.
Fearne wrote: ‘It is with a heavy heart that I let you all know that Jesse and I are ending our marriage.
‘Our priority has been and always will be our children. We please ask that you respect the privacy of our family at this time.’
Jesse, who is the son of Rolling Stone rocker Ronnie Wood and model Krissy Findlay, is yet to speak out on their split.
MailOnline takes a look back through the final months of Fearne and Jesse’s marriage to highlight the signs that they were cruising towards their split…
Fearne Cotton, 43, shocked fans when she announced she and husband Jesse Wood, 48, ended their marriage on Friday
Their unexpected split comes after the pair celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in July with a fun Beckham-inspired photoshoot, looking more than loved-up
The presenter took to her Instagram stories on Friday evening to issue the statement and tell fans their priority is on their children
Fearne’s health scare
Ahead of the surgery last week, the presenter gave no indication her marriage lay in tatters.
She said: ‘Hey gang I’m going to be out of action for a bit due to a surgery. I felt a lump under my ear on my jawline a while ago now but this year noticed it was growing.
‘Turns out it’s a benign tumour and another small one above it on the saliva gland. I’m feeling positive about it all and will take the opportunity to rest and slow right down.
‘If you feel a lump or bump or feel like something is a bit off, always go get it checked. I’m so glad I did as the longer you leave these things the more complicated things become.
‘It’s obviously so weird that only a couple of months ago Davina told me about her tumour and then weeks later I was calling her having discovered mine. I’m not only lucky she’s a bloody good mate but also a beacon of light and positivity when it comes to this stuff.
‘Sending you all loads of love and I’ll see you soon.’
She later issued an update: ‘Operation went really well. Recovering and resting. Thanks so much for all the kind messages.’
Social media absence
The pair haven’t posted each other in weeks
Despite both being active social media users, the former couple haven’t mentioned each other on Instagram for weeks.
Jesse last posted a snap with Fearne in September when he wished her a happy birthday.
Alongside a sweet snap of them embracing each other, he penned: ‘Happy birthday to the one I love.’
And Fearne mentioned Jesse a month later when she marked his birthday.
Haven’t been pictured in months
Fearne and Jesse have not been pictured together at an event since February (pictured)
The pair were often seen attending events together where they would happily pose for the cameras.
However, the last time they were both spotted at the same event was back in February.
Fearne and Jesse attended The Prince’s Trust Invest In Futures Gala Dinner at The Peninsula Hotel in London.
In the photo from the evening, the couple appeared in high spirits as they posed together.
Struggles on being a blended family
Fearne and Jesse with their children and Jesse’s children from his marriage to Tilly Wood
Before giving birth their two children, Fearne had a swift introduction to parenthood as step-mum to husband Jesse’s children.
Speaking to GoodtoKnow in 2018, she said: ‘It doesn’t necessarily prepare you for having your own kids, but it prepares you for an element of parenthood which is about time management and learning how to keep your relationship afloat within family life.’
Fearne continued: ‘It is important you keep things rolling and you stay on-board with your partner – and that you still have fun as a couple, and that you feel comfortable and treat each other kindly.
‘Step-parenthood was a good initiation into that because you know you’ve got lunches to make for school or school uniforms to wash, or car journeys to take them on to clubs at the weekends, and that was a real swift introduction.’
Rough patch in 2019
Fearne revealed they had a rough patch in 2019 (pictured 2015)
Fearne previously spoke of how a ‘rough patch’ with her husband Jesse left them desperately ‘clinging onto their marriage’ in an unearthed interview.
The cracks were beginning to show in 2019, when the presenter lifted the lid on how their marriage was ‘suffering’.
She admitted her marriage had got more difficult due to Jesse’s packed schedule which led the pair to have a screaming row in the park.
The presenter candidly told readers in her column for Red Magazine: ‘Love takes hard work – and no one wants to hear that’.
She continued: ‘This year, Jesse and I hit a rough patch – he was away, touring relentlessly, [with his band, Reef].
‘I was trying to keep my own career going while looking after our kids and we were both desperately clinging on to our marriage.’
The couple’s problems eventually came to a head with a two-hour ‘screaming match’ where they worried their ‘love had gone’.
After the lengthy row, which took place in a local park, the pair broke down crying but the former Top Of The Pops host credited her husband’s emotional side for them being so honest with each other.
She added: ‘In the midst of this gargantuan row, I think we both wondered where the love had gone and worried that it might not come back.’
Surgery recovery- no mention of Jesse
Fearne did not mention spending time with Jesse as she recovers from surgery, despite her reference to spending time with friends and Christmas shopping
During her latest podcast episode of Happy Place, featuring Olly Alexander, Fearne welcomed listeners by informing them that, by the time the episode was released, she would be recovering from surgery.
However, there was no mention of spending time with Jesse, despite her reference to spending time with friends during her recovery.
She said: ‘I found a little lump, and it’s a benign tumour. It’s just below my ear, and there’s a smaller one above it on my jaw.
‘So, the beginning of December means surgery and then rest, which, for me and many of you, is an alien concept. I can’t quite imagine how I’m going to rest or how that’s going to feel. Hopefully, right now, I’ll be watching Wolf Hall because that’s my plan, along with loads of other good TV, and hopefully seeing some friends.
‘I’ll be doing a bit of resting, which is why I had to scramble and get all my Christmas prep done in November, quite frankly.
‘So, if you’re going through something similar, or dealing with injury or whatever it is, we’re in this together.
‘I’m hopefully going to be under a blanket, and I hope you are too if you’re listening during some kind of recovery. And hopefully, I’ll be back at it very, very soon.’
Frank confession
Fearne once said that the Covid-19 pandemic killed their sex lives
In 2021 Fearne opened up about her marriage and confessed the pandemic had killed their sex life.
Speaking on Alan Carr’s Life’s A beach podcast, Fearne said: ‘Sexy time hasn’t happened for so long in terms of me going anywhere.
‘I think for me and my husband, booking into the local Travelodge would make us feel sexy at the moment.’
10-year wedding anniversary
In July, Fearne marked their 10 year wedding anniversary on Instagram by re-wearing her wedding dress
But the split has come as a surprise to fans as in July, Fearne marked their 10 year wedding anniversary on Instagram by re-wearing her wedding dress.
Fearne explained they had been inspired by Victoria and David Beckham, who sent the internet wild on Wednesday by marking their own wedding anniversary by slipping into their iconic purple outfits from the reception.
The presenter poked fun at the viral snap and wrote: ‘If its good enough for the Beckhams.
‘It’s our wedding anniversary too. 10 years today. And we are back in our wedding outfits (not purple) and @jessejameswood can’t locate the shoes’.
She also shared many more snippets from their nuptials to her Stories, including a photo of her and Jesse kissing on the dancefloor.
She captioned the snap: ‘Happy 10 years @jessejameswood. Wish we could do it all over again.’
Fearne and Jesse began dating in 2011 after meeting while partying in Ibiza, the year that the guitarist split from his first wife Tilly Wood following eight years of marriage.
According to Fearne their first date consisted of a meal of vodka and cigarettes, and said they ‘did not eat a thing’.
However, their lifestyles have changed since and Jesse is now sober, while the pair turned vegan together in 2021.
Romantic summer holiday
Fearne gave fans a glimpse into her summer of fun as she shared a carousel of images on Instagram in August
In one striking snap, the presenter showed off her incredible figure in a striped bikini as she cosied up to Jesse on the beach
Fearne also gave fans a glimpse into her summer of fun as she shared a carousel of images on Instagram in August.
In one striking snap, the presenter showed off her incredible figure in a striped bikini as she cosied up to Jesse on the beach.
She also shared a rare photo of daughter Honey, eight, at her brother-in-law Tyrone Wood’s wedding – which took place in July when Tyrone married his fiancée of seven months Faye Harris.
In another shot, Fearne took a selfie of herself sitting on a blanket on the beach, not too far from the water’s edge.
He and Fearne smiled for a photo in which they wrapped their arms around each other on an ancient road.
