Two years after the former couple's breakup, This Morning chef Phil Vickery is spotted with ex-wife Fern Britton's closest friend in the street.
In the most recent photos taken on Wednesday as they left a posh London hotel, Fern Britton's ex-husband Phil Vickery could be seen kissing her closest pal on the street.
Who is Phil Vickery's new girlfriend?
In images obtained by The Sun, the 61-year-old famous chef was seen giving a passionate kiss to Lorraine Stanton, who is 58 and has been a close friend of Fern for years. The couple was reportedly out on a date when they were seen leaving the hotel holding hands and carrying overnight bags. Phil and Lorraine, a retired restaurant general manager, couldn't take their hands off each other and allegedly stopped twice in the street to kiss.
Fern, who is 65, and Lorraine have been friends for a long time and have shared photos of their connection on Instagram.
Fern's close buddy revealed to the Sun:
'They look like teenagers in love and that will be just so hurtful for Fern. Behaving this way in public will feel like a betrayal.'
Phil Vickery and Fern Britton's divorce
After 20 years of marriage, Fern and Phil divorced in 2020, writing:
'After more than 20 joyful years together, [we] have chosen to go our separate ways. We will always share a great friendship and our lovely children. We would appreciate it if our privacy is respected at this time. Thank you for your continued kindness and support. [sic]'
Weeks after the TV personality admitted she battled with her divorce, Phil found a new public love. A source said:
'Phil and Lorraine kissing on the street like this will be painful for poor Fern. They appear to be teens in love, which will be really painful for her.'
They continued:
'They are two of the most important persons in her life, and their behavior in public will feel betrayed.'
On Tuesday morning's This Morning program with Take That's Mark Owen, Phil was last seen handing a sausage tray bake to the audience. After filming, according to the news source, Phil reportedly stayed in a flat before being spotted out and about with Lorraine the next day in the city.
In a recent interview with Prima Magazine, Fern discussed how she hoped she could have ‘persevered’ in their relationship.
She added while looking back on their difficult but amicable split:
‘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.’
The former Ready Steady Cook host candidly shared:
'Often, the children leave home and you look at each other and go, ‘Ah, where do we go from here? I only wish I were the kind of person who could have kept going through it. But I couldn't’.
According to the author, she and Phil decided to end their long-term union since they realized it had ‘run its course’ after they were left to live alone when their children built their families and went away.
Fern previously discussed the challenges of ‘bounce back’ after a divorce, saying in March that the ‘rebound is difficult.’ And it appears she is still avoiding dating, for the time being, citing the importance of her personal space.
The reality star told Prima:
'I’m not considering dating right now. 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./
Fern concluded that her life is 'pretty bloody perfect right now' and she's happy with it:
'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.'
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