Fern Britton has made a shocking claim about her ex-husband, chef Phil Vickery, saying he stopped speaking to her for two years before their official separation. And the reason? According to Fern, it happened right after the death of her beloved mother.
The former This Morning presenter, now 66, was married to Phil for two decades after tying the knot in 2000. The pair officially announced their split in January 2020 with a joint statement calling for privacy and emphasising the lasting friendship they shared. But as Fern now reveals, the reality behind the scenes was far more painful.
“He hasn’t spoken to me for six years now,” Fern revealed in a new interview with Yours magazine.
“As soon as my mum died, he stopped talking to me.”
Fern’s mother, Ruth, sadly passed away in 2018 — two years before the public announcement of the divorce. The revelation casts a new light on what seemed like an amicable separation.
Though Phil was stepfather to Fern’s three children from her previous marriage to TV executive Clive Jones — twins Harry and Jack and daughter Grace — they also share daughter Winnie, now 23. Despite the tension between the former couple, Fern made it clear that she avoids speaking negatively about Phil for the sake of their daughter.
“Winnie absolutely adores her dad,” she said.
“I try very hard not to bad-mouth him. I was the child of divorced parents and my mum never bad-mouthed my father — I want to do the same.”
Back in 2020, Fern hinted that her marriage was crumbling during a Good Morning Britain appearance, admitting that the loss of both her parents left the relationship in ruins. She also told Woman & Home magazine they had simply grown apart:
“We both needed to follow our own paths.”
Now promoting her latest novel, A Cornish Legacy, Fern insists she isn’t seeking public sympathy. Instead, she draws from personal experience to shape her writing.
“Like many people, I’ve been through divorce,” she said.
“That gave me the insight to write about it honestly in the new book.”
And if you’re wondering whether Fern is ready to walk down the aisle again — the answer is a firm no.
“I don’t ever want to marry again,” she told Woman & Home.
“I don’t want to live with anyone again. I’ve spent enough time looking after other people — now it’s time to take care of myself.”
She also confessed she hasn’t “dated anyone properly in 25 years,” suggesting she’s content with where she is — despite the heartache she’s faced.
Entertainment Daily has reached out to Phil Vickery’s representatives for comment.
