Theirs had been thought to be one of the strongest unions in the celebrity world, but football hero Gary Lineker and his wife Michelle revealed this weekend that they are to split after two decades of marriage.
The childhood sweethearts, who wed in 1986, captured the sympathy of the nation when their eldest son George, now 14, successfully battled leukaemia. Michelle and the former England player also have three other children, 12-year-old Harry, Tobias, who's ten, and Angus, eight.
Ex-beautician Michelle is reportedly moving out of their £2-million Surrey mansion, to the devastation of the Match Of The Day commentator. "Gary is heartbroken but Michelle is insistent," said a friend. "She feels they've come to the end of the road."
A spokesman for the family confirmed that divorce proceedings have started, but insisted no-one else is involved in the breakdown of the relationship. "Sadly they have grown apart over the last year or so and led increasingly separate lives," said a statement.
On Saturday, the sports star presented Match Of The Day as usual and is still lined up to host the BBC World Cup coverage. The couple are believed to have agreed details of the divorce settlement, including Gary's £20-million fortune, which was boosted by a promotional deal with Walkers Crisps.
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