Fern Britton enjoyed a girls holiday with Lorraine Stanton, who has been spotted kissing her ex-husband Phil Vickeray, months before announcing her marriage split in 2020.
Former This Morning star Fern, 65, ended her 20-year marriage with chef husband Phil, 61, after the pair realised they wanted different things from life.
The former couple officially announced the end of their marriage to the rest of the world in January 2020.
Two years after their split, Phil is back in the headlines after he was seen kissing Fern's pal, Lorraine, 58, in the street.
Lorraine - who has known Fern for decades - carried a Fortnum & Masum bag as she leaned over a suitcase for the kiss.
She kept warm in a fluffy white coat and wore brown trousers. She paired it with a brown handbag and white trainers.
Phil kept it low-key in a camouflage shirt and jeans as he held onto a shoulder bag and the duo looked head over heels for each other as they enjoyed a walk before entering a property in Mayfair.
Following the release of the snaps, Fern took to Twitter to tell her followers that she wanted to 'clear up concerns' as she said a newspaper front page 'wasn't true', although it's not clear what she was referring to.
The Mirror has gone to Fern's representatives for comment.
A source claimed on Friday that Fern had been left 'heartbroken and dumbstruck' by the photos which left her feeling 'weird and awkward.'
"'She's shocked and is struggling to process her mixed emotions," they told the Mail.
Four months prior to announcing her divorce, Fern and Lorraine had enjoyed a bike ride with friends in Lake Windermere in September 2019.
The pals shared several snaps of their special trip on social media, as they smiled and beamed alongside one another on the memorable trip that occurred just four months before Fern decided to call it quits on her 20-year marriage.
Fern and Lorraine have often shared a glimpse inside their close friendship on Facebook and Instagram down through the years, and following the Phil and Lorraine's bombshell news, Ferne still follows her pal on social media.
However, the former This Morning star is said to be heartbroken over the shock discovery.
"They look like teenagers in love and that will be just so hurtful for Fern. Behaving this way in public will feel like a betrayal," a source told The Sun.
Fern recently confessed she wished she 'persevered' with her marriage to Phil.
"This new chapter has come at the right time for me. I don’t want to be the poster girl for separation, though, because a lot of people go through the same thing.
"Often, the children leave home and you look at each other and go, ‘Ah, where do we go from here?’ I only wish I was the sort of person who could have persevered through that, but I couldn’t," she told Prima Magazine.
Fern and Phil announced their separation in January 2020 via a statement on Twitter.
She wrote: "After more than 20 happy years together, [we] have decided to go our separate ways. We will always share a great friendship and our lovely children.
"We would appreciate it if our privacy is respected at this time. Thank you for your continued kindness and support."
Since splitting up, Fern has been living in Cornwall after moving out of the family home in Buckinghamshire.
Fern and the This Morning chef are proud parents to their daughter, Winnie, 20.
The TV host is also mum to Grace, 25, and twins Jack and Harry, 28, who she shares with her ex-husband Clive Jones.
The Mirror has contacted Fern's representatives for comment on this story.
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