Paddy and Christine McGuinness have publicly announced they have separated after 11 years of marriage.
In a joint statement posted on Instagram Stories, the couple revealed they had made the decision to part ways “a while ago”.
However, Paddy and Christine – who married in 2011 after four years of dating – are still living together with their three children, daughter Felicity and twins Penelope and Leo.
“We hadn’t planned on sharing this publicly until we were ready but after the lack of privacy surrounding our personal life, we feel left with no other option but to clarify,” the Top Gear presenter and former The Real Housewives Of Cheshire cast member said, referring to recent speculation about their marriage in the tabloid press.
“A while ago we took the difficult decision to separate but our main focus as always is to continue loving and supporting our children.
“This was not an easy decision to make but we’re moving forward as the best parents we can be for our three beautiful children.
“We’ll always be a loving family, we still have a great relationship and still live happily in our family home together.
“We hope this now draws a line under any more unwanted and unnecessary intrusion into our private life. Although we work in the public eye we ask kindly if you could respect our wishes for privacy on this matter.”
The couple met in 2007 at the Liverpool Tennis Tournament, and got married at Thornton Manor in Cheshire in June 2011.
In December, the couple, whose three children all have autism, shone a light on the condition in a BBC documentary, Our Family And Autism.
Christine subsequently received a diagnosis at the age of 33, describing it as “a huge relief” that helped her understand “why I am the way I am”.