Ben Foden has offered a sincere apology to ex-wife Una Healy over the fact he swiftly married his current wife, Jackie Belanoff-Smith, so suddenly after their divorce.
The 36-year-old rugby hunk was married to 40-year-old The Saturdays singer Una in 2012 and the couple share two children together.
The couple split in 2018 and their divorce was finalised in divorce in 2019 – with Ben promptly marrying 37-year-old business woman Jackie on that same day.
As the sportsman – and competitor on ITV’s Dancing On Ice – approaches his third anniversary with Jackie, with whom he shares a one-year-old daughter named Farrah, Ben has reflected on how he appeared to move on so fast from Una.
Speaking to OK! Magazine, Ben said: “Obviously, what I did was very selfish in regards to Una. I think it was a shock to her, me getting married so quickly.
“Una and I hadn’t been together for a year and a half but I think what made it bad was it was such a big thing in the media and it was everywhere, so, I did owe her an apology for that and should probably have let her know a bit more about what was going on.”
Ben has previously praised Una for being a fine mother to their two children – as they share nine-year-old daughter Aoife and six-year-old son Tadgh.
He told the Mirror recently: “I always doff my hat to Una. She's raised the kids for the last couple of years on her own, and they're great kids, very loving and gentle, and intelligent too – and they definitely don't get that from me.
“I’d like them to get into music and acting. They did an advert with Una for McDonald's and were great in it.”
Ben previously explained that he did let Una know he was going to marry Jackie – who he wed within days of meeting – before they walked down the aisle together.
He took to Instagram in August 2019 to explain that he had married the American businesswoman.
He explained at the time: “I met a girl who seriously swept me off my feet and in a time of hardship showed me love, a deep devoted love.
“People will say we are mad or crazy or even fools, as @snackyjax and I had only been dating seriously for a little over 2 weeks before deciding to get married. But when someone like her comes in to your life, why would I wait?”
He added: “The people who needed to know, such as close family and friends were told before anyone else and they are happy for me including my beautiful X wife @unahealy who I love even more for her blessing.”
More recently, Ben has said he hopes the public will view him in a new, more forging light, after signing up as a contestant on Dancing On Ice.
He said: “Doing a show like this, you try to show people at home that I’m not a bad guy, everyone makes mistakes.
“I’m very happy and we’ve moved on from all that. Jackie and I have Farrah, Una and I are in a good place. It’s all part of the healing process, how you’re perceived. And I think we’re getting there.”
