The former presenter currently lives in Cornwall
Fern Britton has revealed she will “never” present This Morning again for one reason.
In June, speculation emerged that the 68-year-old presenter might return to the ITV daytime programme – which she fronted alongside John Leslie, 60, from 1999 until 2002, and subsequently with Phillip Schofield, 63, from 2002 until her departure in 2009. This came following her appearance with current presenters Ben Shephard, 50, and Cat Deeley, 48, to discuss her ITV series, Inside the Vet’s, which broadcast in July.
However, Fern has now dismissed the rumours as she wants to concentrate on her writing career. The television personality – who has achieved Sunday Times bestselling status with 10 novels – revealed to the latest edition of Woman’s Weekly magazine: “[It was fun] but, no, I won’t be going back to do This Morning. Never go back, that’s my motto – for anything. My forefront is now being a writer, and it’s taken me a long time to accept that.”
Following Fern’s separation from This Morning chef Phil Vickery, 64, in 2020, she moved to Cornwall.
During Fern’s This Morning appearance to publicise Inside the Vet’s – where she guided audiences through the operations at The Grove Vets in Bristol – Cat referenced her fresh lifestyle in the Cornish countryside.
She said: “The last I saw of you, you were sitting in your garden writing … Sitting in the garden, enjoying the Cornish countryside, listening to the birds singing.” Fern replied: “It’s not too bad. Life is good.”
In June, the celebrity revealed that her ex-husband Phil has not spoken to her since her mum Ruth passed away in 2018, despite having a “basic” level of communication post-separation.
Fern, who was married to Phil for two decades, told Yours magazine: “He hasn’t spoken to me for six years now. As soon as my mum died, he stopped talking to me.”
The Celebrity Big Brother 2024 contestant maintains she tries “very hard” not to speak ill of Phil for their 23-year-old daughter Winnie’s sake. She said: “Winnie adores him. I’m not going to bad-mouth him in front of her; at least, I try very hard not to. I was the child of divorced parents, and my mum never bad-mouthed my father.”
Fern was previously wed to TV executive Clive Jones, 76, from 1988 to 2000, with their divorce finalised in 2000 after their separation in 1998. She shares 31-year-old twin sons, Jack and Harry, and a 28-year-old daughter named Grace with Clive.
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