It has been a tough five years for TV favourite Fern Britton after her stalker hell and divorce but she is loving her new life in Cornwall – and her incredible new look
Fern Britton has revealed how she has overcome a “catalogue of difficulty” in the past few years amid her incredible weight loss success.
Last year, James Haviland was handed a 10-year restraining order after pleading guilty to stalking the TV presenter. She also had to come to terms with her divorce from Phil Vickery, and has battle health issues.
There’s been some creature comforts to help get her through it all and Fern hopes her new slim look makes her perfect for also heading back to the small screen and more TV work in the coming years if she returns to London. Losing five stone, the This Morning legend is feeling better than ever.
She told The Sunday Times: “When I’m not feeling well, one of my cats will always sit on my bed with me. They take it in turns, like a shift pattern. This has been particularly comforting in recent years because I’ve had a catalogue of difficult things to face, from getting my home together here in Cornwall to discovering that I had a stalker.”
Fern is back in great shape but is not hankering for a TV comeback or a man in her life. Instead she wants to continue to write bestselling books from her Cornwall home. At 67, it is now five years since her 20-year marriage to TV chef Phil Vickery ended, but Fern insists: “I’m not looking for love.”
She told Woman & Home: ‘I’m still a bit too wary of losing my liberty. There’s nobody to run something past but, on the other hand, I think back to running things past people and it never really worked out, so why don’t I just make my own decision? Then I’m the only person who can go, ‘I f***ed up there’.”
Her stalker hell was her biggest challenge since the collapse of her marriage. Haviland, 63, drove 200 miles to stay in 66-year-old Fern’s holiday cottage in the village where she lived and last week admitted he’d stalked ther for two years. He started by sending Fern flowers and cards before embarking on a mega journey to be close to her – staying in the village she lives – Cornwall’s Padstow.
Fern first met Phil when she hosted Ready Steady Cook in 1999, and they married the following year, having daughter Winnie in 2001. They also appeared regularly on ITV’s This Morning, which Fern fronted for a decade from 1999 and Phil joined as chef in 2006, with Fern quitting in 2009 while Phil still makes occasional appearances.
Appearing to have one of the strongest marriages in showbiz, no one expected Fern and Phil’s split announcement in January 2020. “After more than 20 happy years together, Phil and I have decided to go our separate ways,” Fern tweeted. “We will always share a great friendship and our lovely children . We would appreciate it if our privacy is respected at this time. Thankyou for your continued kindness and support.”
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