Mum-of-four Cheryl Thomasgood has opened up about the bitter regrets she harbours after falling for Masai warrior toyboy, Daniel Lekimencho, and has warned others to think twice before uprooting their life for a holiday romance
In 1994, Cheryl Thomasgood upturned her entire life after falling for a Masai warrior toyboy, but things soon took a disappointing turn. Now the mother-of-four has opened up about her bitter regrets, with a warning to any other women looking for a holiday romance this summer.
Cheryl was 34 years old when she headed to the remote Samburu region of Kenya, at the encouragement of a friend from her church choir. Although she lived a comfortable suburban life on the Isle of Wight, Cheryl was at this point struggling with the aftermath of childhood trauma as well as difficulties in her marriage and longed to find some peace.
During her search for spiritual healing, former hairdresser Cheryl checked into the Bamburi Beach Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya. It was here where she first locked eyes with Daniel Lekimencho, who was part of a group performing traditional Masai dancing for visitors.
Smitten Cheryl fell head over heels for charismatic Daniel, who was ten years her junior, and deeply admired his sincerity and lack of attachment to material concerns. She felt certain this was the drastic change she’d been looking for.
After the three-week holiday was over, Cheryl briefly returned to the UK to inform her then-hubby, Mike Mason, and her three children that she was starting a new life with a man she barely knew.
Then, it was back on the plane to Kenya, where Cheryl moved into Daniel’s mud hut and fully immersed herself in his tribe’s culture.
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The British woman was soon sleeping on goatskin, cooking over open fires, and dining on Masai delicacies, which included meals of cabbage and cow’s blood. In 1995, the couple moved to England, where they married on Valentine’s Day, clad in traditional Masai clothing.
They settled into married life on the Isle of Wight with Cheryl’s children and welcomed a daughter together, Misti, now 27. However, it sadly wasn’t long before cracks started to show in the relationship, with Cheryl noticing that the once spiritually focused Daniel was becoming more concerned with material wealth.
Cheryl has urged anyone pursuing a holiday romance to “be careful” as they could end up “regretting it for the rest of your life”. Cheryl told MailOnline: “I felt like I was just a meal ticket. I made a huge mistake, and I have a lot of regrets – especially about how it affected my children.”
According to Cheryl, Daniel became preoccupied with longing for a bigger home, as well as designer gear and cash to send to family in Kenya. As their arguments became increasingly frequent, the bond Cheryl and Daniel once shared started to fray, and she found herself getting irritated with him.
Things deteriorated to the point that the only time Daniel was actually happy was when he was jumping around in the garden as part of his traditional Masai dance. Cheryl recalled: “He would say that he was getting ready for battle and wanted to jump as high as an elephant. The kids loved it, but it got on my nerves after a while.”
Ultimately, their cultural differences, on top of the pressures Daniel faced while moving to Britain, tore the once-happy couple apart, and in 1999, they called it quits. On reflection, Cheryl reckons the marriage only lasted as long as it did as she wanted to prove any naysayers wrong.
Looking back more than 30 years on, Cheryl does feel some guilt about how her children were affected. She admitted, “The biggest regret of all was the impact on my children. Daniel tried, but he couldn’t be the father they needed. They missed out on having a stable male figure.”
However, Cheryl has now made peace with her past decisions and enjoys strong relationships with each of her four children: Steve, 43, Tommy, 41, Chloe, 34, and Mitsi, whom she regards as “the one good thing” that came from her romance with Daniel. With three marriages now behind her, Cheryl has no desire to walk down the aisle again.
As for Daniel, he’s reportedly still living on the Isle of Wight, where he works at a supermarket.
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