Radio DJ Vanessa Feltz has endured two horrible heartbreaks but the star isn't scared of dating again.
Vanessa married doctor Michael Kurer in 1985 and the couple have two daughters, Allegra and Saskia. When he left the star, leading to their divorce in 2000, she was 'rocked to my absolute core'.
"The marriage seemed to be so disposable - it could just be chucked down the toilet in 10 seconds flat, even though I didn't want it to be and I didn't realise there was any trouble with it or problems," Vanessa candidly revealed on the How To Fail podcast.
"I remember getting home from a wedding with him and thought he was getting ready for bed. The next thing I saw, he was getting dressed and packing a case and said: 'I'm leaving'. I didn't understand what I'd done wrong."
The radio host was married to orthopaedic surgeon Michael Kurer for 15 years (REX/Shutterstock)
Vanessa then moved on with Ben Ofoedu but their relationship ended in heartbreak (GETTY)The star's painful divorce put her off marrying again but she did find love once more, with Phats & Smalls star Ben Ofoedu. They met through mutual friend Keith Duffy in 2005 and got engaged the following year, living together in North London.
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"There were dark red roses strewn all over the white linen bed," said Vanessa, 62, of Ben's romantic proposal. "When I turned around, he had dropped to one knee and was holding an engagement ring."
But while the star believed she'd found her happy ever after the relationship was rocked at Christmas 2022 when Vanessa discovered he had been unfaithful. When Ben admitted to sleeping with a woman three times in Ibiza, she dumped him and was forced to pick herself up off the floor once more.
"Literally, physically, I am alone – I'm in an empty house, it's lonely," said the presenter of the break up of her 16-year relationship. "I don't like being single, it's not my thing and it doesn't suit my personality at all – and that's a scary prospect."
The star was recently spotted on a date with 'the hottest man on Tinder'"But now it's clear that it's over and I really do feel that once the trust in a relationship is gone then you can't really get it back and that's what I would tell anyone else to do... I feel incredibly sad and I am pretty disappointed and shocked and all those horrible things but also full of resolve. I am not going to let this defeat me."
Ben, 51, has moved on with reality TV star Precious Muir, 33. "I'm looking forward to a bright future," he said. "Many more Valentines Days, living together and children… and these things are incredibly exciting for me. Precious has made me feel like I have got my life back."
Vanessa, meanwhile, signed up for Channel 4's Celebs Go Dating last autumn, which saw her go on her first date for nearly two decades. Her experiences on the show took away her fears about dating again and she caused a stir in March when she was spotted out with love coach Stefan-Pierre Tomlin, who has been dubbed the 'most attractive man on Tinder'.
Vanessa and Stefan-Pierre look cosy at the Vindication Swim premiere (Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/REX/Shutterstock)
The star shared a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc with Stefan on their swanky date (Jonathan Hordle/REX/Shutterstock)Stefan-Pierre Tomlin, 33, is said to be the 'most swiped man' on the dating app and works as the Celebrity Love Coach. The model from South London walked down the red carpet with Vanessa at the premiere of film Vindication Swim at London's Curzon cinema before the duo enjoyed a cosy dinner date at swanky restaurant Shish in London's Mayfair.
Onlookers said the pair chatted for hours before saying goodbye with a hug. Trained pilot Stefan-Pierre later told Mail Online: "She's great. A gentleman never tells but she is the most amazing woman... We had a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon blanc with dinner." Vanessa later hinted at a romantic weekend away on This Morning, saying of her trip to Ireland: "Whether I'm taking a little leprechaun with me, I'm not saying."
Things are looking up for Vanessa, a grandmother of four, in her career too - she's the host of a new Saturday programme on LBC. A controversial shake-up of the radio station's schedule saw Sangita Myska leave her weekend phone-in show after being suddenly dropped, with a petition to bring the star back attracting 25,000 signatures.
Vanessa's time slot isn't a direct replacement for Sangita, with the former BBC star leaving TalkTV to pursue her new gig. "After a long and passionate courtship, I've finally succumbed to the allure of LBC," she said.
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Listen to Vanessa's LBC show today from 3pm-6pm.
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