Actor Martin Clunes is said to have made a bombshell statement (Image: ITV)
Martin Clunes may be happily married to his wife Philippa Braithwaite, but he was previously married to actress Lucy Aston from 1990 to 1997, when their divorce was finalised. Their love life is said to have grown sour over the years, particularly after Lucy decided to pursue a career as a crisis counsellor. They initially met from their work in the acting industry and started dating before his success in Men Behaving Badly.
Instead of her glitzy and glamorous showbiz nights out, she would spend evenings in, studying, which was a clear shift from the dynamic of their relationship prior to that. As Martin is appearing back on screen this weekend, with Love Your Weekend With Alan Titchmarsh airing on ITV with a cameo from the actor, weâve looked back at his romantic history, and a pinnacle moment with Martinâs wife caused their relationship to face its real downfall.
Actor Martin Clunes and his wife Philippa Braithwaite married in 1997 (Image: GETTY)
According to Clunesâ former wife, a blazing row erupted at a Chinese restaurant after he attended a party without her, with the actor allegedly remarking, âYou are an embarrassmentâ once the meal had concluded. This prompted Aston to return her wedding ring, telling The Mirror: âHe told me I was boring and different, and I just thought: âNo more.â
âI stood up and said, âThanks for dinner â this is the end,â and stormed out. I sat in the car shaking with rage.
âWe both knew it was overâŠhe tried to make out he had told me, but the truth is he just didnât want me there. The sad thing is, I had become an embarrassment to him.â Although Clunes has rarely spoken about his first marriage, he did describe it in a 2008 interview with the Mailâs Weekend magazine as ârottenâ.
Yet he later reflected: âWe had a problem enjoying each other, but now I can enjoy Lucy again. We are friends and can appreciate each other.â
It was during the very same year as their divorce that Clunes met and wed his current wife, Philippa Braithwaite, having proposed to her while filming a holiday series in Hawaii. The pair have one child together, their daughter Emily, who they welcomed in 1999.
Heâs since praised his marriage and told SAGA: âAt the end of the day, I suppose, everybody should marry my wife. But too late, I already did. And Iâm not letting her go.â He also said they continue to âmake each other laughâ, adding: âI still feel totally thrilled to see her, like itâs the first time. It never stops.â
