Martine McCutcheon comforted her son Rafferty this morning after he was a "bit nervous" for his first day in the new school year.
The Love Actually star – who announced her split from her husband Jack McManus in August – had spent the summer holidaying with her nine-year-old in Marbella. As she sat in the car following the school drop-off, she told her Instagram fans: "Rafferty's first day back at school! I'm really going to miss him. He's grown up so much over the summer and he's got so tall."
While she said he was "really happy" to spend time with friends, Martine said he also had his reservations.
"What was lovely is that he hopped, skipped and jumped his way in – he was just really happy to see his friends. He was a little bit nervous but he always is for the first day back. "But I just said to him, 'Look, think about all the kids who have not been to school here before and make sure that you spend that energy kind of like helping them out', so I think that's what he's going to do.
"But we had a giggle this morning singing to Take That 'Shine' – he loves that at the moment, it is a tune to be fair."
Martine and Jack's split
Martine and Jack tied the knot in Lake Como in September 2012 and they welcomed their son the following year. They went on to renew their vows in front of Rafferty at the five-star Beaverbrook hotel in September 2022, to mark their tenth anniversary.
Just two years later, Martine announced that he had "decided it's best for us to separate."
She wrote on her Instagram Stories: "After much thought and consideration, Jack has decided it's best for us to separate after 18 years together and I accept his decision.
"We are both so very blessed and grateful for our beautiful, 9-year-old son Rafferty, [whose] happiness and welfare has always been, and will continue to be, our number 1 priority. We both, of course, still cherish and look forward to being parents together to our wonderful boy for the rest of our lives…"
She continued: "Whilst this decision has evolved over a period of time, we are still finding our new way forward as a family and kindly ask for some privacy at this time... Especially for our little boy.
"Our love for Rafferty is something that will never waver or change and we obviously want to protect him and help him feel as safe and secure as possible. Many thanks in advance for your respect and support at this difficult time. And I continue to send Jack all the love, luck and happiness for the next chapter of his life. Rafferty and I (as always,) are rooting for you! Thank you all for the love and support, now and always… Martine xx."
The couple's shock split came two months after Martine had shared a sweet Father's Day tribute to Jack gushing about his parenting skills.
Next to a snap of Jack and Rafferty cuddling as they slept, she wrote: "You really are the best daddy and friend to Rafferty and I know that you couldn’t possibly love him more! Rafferty is so blessed to have you showing him the way in life… Thank you for all you do."
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