Fern Britton's two marriages sadly ended in divorce, but her fans may be surprised to hear about one of the big rifts with her ex Clive Jones.
MORE: Fern Britton makes 'difficult' revelation about dating after split from ex-husband Phil Vickery
The former This Morning presenter tied the knot with television executive Clive on 12 November 1988, and they went on to welcome children, Jack, Harry, and Grace during their 12-year marriage. However, she said he was "furious" when she was secretly accepted as a member of high IQ society Mensa without his knowledge, which caused an "immense rift".
WATCH: Fern Britton Recalls Moment Marriage To Phil Vickery Broke Down
During an appearance on the podcast Walking The Dog with Emily Dean, Fern explained: "He had this degree and I don’t. I secretly went off and did the Mensa," she said of the non-profit organisation which is open to those who score at the 98th percentile or higher on an IQ test.
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"I lied, I said I was going somewhere else, and it took a day to do this test. I passed - and quite well too.
Fern with her first husband Clive
"Then he was furious so he did it because he’s got a huge brain. But he's not a problem solver and he didn't get it. So an immense rift opened," she added.
The former couple divorced in 2000 and Fern previously reflected on their split, explaining to Kate Thornton on her White Wine Question Time podcast: "Unfortunately my marriage broke up when she [Grace] was five months [old]. So that was a tricky one so I had a year of really digging deep, but then a year later I met Phil."
She went on to marry celebrity chef Phil Vickery in 2000 and they welcomed daughter Winnie one year later, but they sadly split in January 2020.
Fern was married to Phil Vickery from 2000-2020
Fern and Phil announced their separation by posting the same statement on social media, which read: "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. We would appreciate it if our privacy is respected at this time. Thank you for your continued kindness and support."
Fern previously confessed she and Phil "grew apart" during the final years of their relationship, but described them as the "best of friends."
"We had a wonderful time. We were the best of friends. And I miss that friendship," she told Weekend Magazine. "Here comes a point when the children are substantially off your hands and you look at each other and wonder where you're going to go from here.
"I took a long time to make my decision yet I have faith that it's going to be alright. Now I'm looking forward to the last third of my adult life."
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