On the day that Ben Foden's divorce from Una Healy was finalised - the Dancing on Ice star married another woman.
The former England rugby player tied the knot to to US socialite Jackie Belanoff-Smith just two weeks after they started dating and is hoping his second marriage doesn't end as badly as his first.
After six years of marriage and two kids, Ben and Una's relationship was shattered when she reportedly discovered text messages which exposed his affair.
He was accused of being unfaithful with PR girl Becky Milne on a night out with his rugby friends, just days after the birth of his second child Tadhg, now six.
At the time they were planning to move to the US as Ben was set to play for a team in New York, but their plans were thrown into disarray
Opening up about his cheating in 2019, he told The Guardian : "At the moment anything that's published about me is never very good and pretty rightly so, because I was the one who committed adultery."
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Ben was then spotted on dating app Bumble - with his bio stating that he was "getting divorced" and was looking for love in the US.
It read: "Heading Stateside in December. Never believe in making plans, let’s just see what happens and how things go.
"If you’re uptight and bossy I’m not for you. Getting divorced. 2 little people who are my world."
Ben later claimed that Una was aware of the account, and even helped him put his profile together.
While appearing on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins in 2019, Ben confessed that he will never stop loving his ex-wife and wishes he hadn't hurt her in that manner.
"My life's a bit of a mess. I'll always love Una. She's my first love and the mother of my kids," he said. "I never meant to hurt her in the way I did."
But there was another sting in the tail when Ben got married to New Yorker Jackie on the same day that his divorce from Una came through in 2019 after just two weeks of dating.
In a statement Ben said: "This last year has been by far my toughest and most turbulent for a number of reasons that many of you I’m sure are aware of, in some way or another. The world has a funny way of working things out, many people think I’m a bad person - as I’m sure they’ll be many nasty comments left under this post by keyboard warriors a plenty.
"But 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 claimed his ex had even given her blessing as he posted pictures of their luxury wedding on a yacht in Massachusetts, but later admitted he regretted the decision.
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."
The couple fell pregnant soon after, and welcomed their daughter Farrah Abra Foden in May 2020.
Ben has said Jackie is "obsessed" with Farah and is also a brilliant step mum to his eldest two kids.
He has also consistently praised Una for raising their 'loving and gentle' children by herself and claimed it's thanks to her that they turned out so well.
He told The Mirror : "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 will be taking to the ice this weekend for the brand new series of Dancing on Ice - and wants to stay in the show long enough that his two eldest children can come over from Ireland to watch him perform.
He said: "They came over in the Christmas holidays and one afternoon they dropped in to see me practise. Both said they were impressed with what they saw,” he says. “They’ll definitely be cheering me on in the show more than they do when I’m playing rugby!
"It’s a bit of a long shot to think I’m going to win. The standard is high this year and there are some people who are already standing out. I’ll give it everything I’ve got and throw myself into it.
"I want to make it to the end of February – that’s when Aoife and Tadhg are flying out and they’re excited to come to see me in the live show. I hope I’ll make them proud."
*Dancing on Ice airs tonight on ITV at 6.30pm
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