She has spent the past three weeks living cheek-by-jowl with her Big Brother housemates. But now that Fern Britton is back in the real world she’s more than happy with her own company.
The presenter has been single since splitting from her husband Phil Vickery in 2020 and says she has no intention of remarrying – but she hasn’t ruled out finding love again.
She told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I don’t want to live with anyone – and I don’t want to get married again.
‘I’m a very independent person and the older I get the more I realise I like freedom.’
When asked if she was open to a new romance, Ms Britton said she wasn’t actively looking but added: ‘If someone incredible came along who could put up with me, I’d say yes. It would be the icing on the cake really.
‘But I don’t want to have to be cooking and cleaning and taking care of anybody. Separate houses would do me nicely.’
The former This Morning host, 66, was speaking after she left Celebrity Big Brother on Friday night. She reached the final of the ITV show, where she came runner-up to reality television personality David Potts. Ms Britton told the MoS that she hadn’t dated since she split from Vickery, the resident chef on This Morning, four years ago.
In a statement at the time, she said of their marriage: ‘After more than 20 happy years together, Phil and I have decided to go our separate ways. We will always share a great friendship and our lovely children.’
Ms Britton, who has a 22-year-old daughter with Mr Vickery, added: ‘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.’
Two years later, Mr Vickery, 62, was seen kissing his ex-wife’s best friend, Lorraine Stanton.
Ms Britton was previously married to TV executive Clive Jones, but they divorced in 2000, the year she married Mr Vickery.
They have three children – twins Harry and Jack, 29, and daughter Grace, 26.
During Celebrity Big Brother, Ms Britton showed off her 5st weight loss. She puts it down to running near her home in Cornwall.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
