S Club 7's Rachel Stevens opens up about falling for Dancing on Ice partner amid marriage breakdown

S Club 7's Rachel Stevens has candidly discussed the end of her marriage with real estate agent Alex Bourne, following her stint on Dancing on Ice where she partnered with American professional skater Brendyn Hatfield.

Rachel took part in the 2022 series of Dancing on Ice and was paired with Brendyn Hatfield. Despite their efforts, they were voted off in the third week.

Speaking to The Sun on Sunday's Fabulous magazine, Rachel revealed details about her "messy" divorce from Alex, whom she wed in 2009. She expressed the inner conflict she faced during the breakdown of their relationship, saying, "I knew that we were growing, that I was growing apart, but I was in turmoil, because, first of all, my kids."

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She went on to explain that the turning point in their marriage came when she confessed to Alex that she had 'fallen' for Brendyn. "It was really scary, because I knew as soon as I said that, that was it."

Discussing her current relationship with Brendyn, Rachel shared: "He's a beautiful human. I really love him.", reports OK!.

Rachel and property tycoon Alex tied the knot in 2009 and have two daughters together, Amelie born in 2010 and Minnie born in 2014. In July 2022, Rachel made the announcement that she and Alex were getting a divorce after 13 years together.

When she announced their separation on Instagram, Rachel informed her fans: "I just wanted to share with you all that after time and consideration the difficult decision has been made for Alex and I to separate."

"While we are no longer partners in marriage, we will remain partners in parenthood to our beautiful girls and continue with love and respect for each other. I feel so incredibly grateful for the life we built together and will now continue to be focused on moving forward united as a family."

Earlier this year, Rachel opened up about their separation, stating it was "amicable" and they were continuing to co-parent their two children. "It's only the last two weeks that we've not been living together. That was definitely difficult. We're doing it with love and respect, but it's a process," she revealed.

On Boxing Day 2023, Rachel posted a picture of her Christmas celebrations with new partner Brendyn and their 'blended' family. "A beautiful blended Christmas with our babas. Hope you had a gorgeous day with your loved ones xxx," she captioned the photo featuring her two daughters.