Linda Robson, 65, confirms SPLIT from husband Mark Dunford after 33 years of marriage saying ‘enough is enough’
Linda Robson has confirmed her split from husband Mark Dunford after 33 years of marriage.
The 65-year-old Loose Women panellist confirmed the news to Woman magazine this week, saying: ‘He’s a really good dad and we had some good years, but enough is enough.
‘I’ve got my family and my kids around me. And I’m going on a cruise with Lesley Joseph in November. I’m keeping busy. I feel fine. I’m just going away on trips all the time.
‘I’m not interested [in dating] honestly. I can’t be a***d with all that.’
Linda and window cleaning company owner Mark, 63, share children Louis, 31, and Roberta, 27. Linda also has a daughter Lauren, 40, with her ex Tony Tyler.
‘Enough is enough’: Linda Robson has confirmed her split from husband Mark Dunford after 33 years of marriage. The couple share two children (pictured in 2015)
Linda and Mark – who married in 1990 – live together in London but it was claimed recently that they have been having relationship difficulties.
A source told The Sun on Sunday: ‘Linda has been quite open behind the scenes about problems in her marriage.
‘They hit a bit of a rough patch before Christmas but they’ve managed to work through it.
‘Linda turned to her family and close friends who supported her through it all.’
While Linda denied she was in the midst of a ‘marriage crisis’ she admitted that it hasn’t been plain sailing with her long-term love.
When asked about the crisis by The Sun she stated: ‘That’s a load of rubbish.
‘We’re still living together. We both love our kids more than anything else in the world, obviously you have a few hiccups in every marriage.
‘We’ve been married 33 years so it’s not going to be all plain sailing, but we’re still together at the moment.’
The actress recently spoke about going through ‘ups and downs’ in her relationship.
She told Best magazine: ‘There have been ups and downs, obviously, like any couple. What I think we have in common is that we love our kids more than anything.’
In June, the mother-of-three admitted she hasn’t had sex with Mark for two years while the Loose Women panel discussed if taking a ‘sex break’ can help struggling relationships.
Jumping into the conversation, Linda said: ‘Can I just say I’ve been celibate for two years?’ with Denise Welch responding: ‘I know, but you’ve got to get with the programme.’
Making a very cheeky confession, Linda quipped: ‘I know, you got me a lady friend,’ as their fellow panellists burst out laughing.
As Charlene White questioned if the celibacy had helped her focus and given her clarity she responded: ‘Well I’ve had no choice, I’ve not had it for two years!’
Linda said of her split: I feel fine. I’m just going away on trips all the time. ‘I’m not interested [in dating] honestly. I can’t be a***d with all that’
Wedding day: Linda married Mark Dunford in 1990 but it was reported that they ‘hit a rough patch’ in their marriage before last Christmas that they were trying to work through
Last photograph: The pair were last snapped together on November 22, 2022 i
Last year, Linda revealed she has never got undressed in front of her husband and goes into the bathroom to put on her pyjamas.
The TV presenter discussed her private life in an October 2022 episode of Loose Women and admitted her Catholic upbringing influenced her views on nudity.
Linda said: ‘I find it quite difficult, I’ve never underdressed in front of my husband so when I put my pajamas on, I go in the bathroom.
‘My kids have seen my undressed but not my husband or former partners because my mum was Irish Catholic.’
In 2017, Linda revealed she and Mark had a rough patch where they were on the brink of divorcing.
She explained: ‘I love him. We’ve had a few tough years when we could have easily called it a day, but we didn’t.’
She revealed their troubles started when children Lauren and Louis were each subjected to traumatic events, which tested Linda and Mark’s marriage.
READ MORE: Linda Robson jets off on solo holiday to Mallorca amid marriage crisis
Things became testing when Lauren was diagnosed with bulimia and Louis with PTSD after he witnessed the murder of his friend.
‘People always said [Lauren] looked like Kate Moss,’ she said, first speaking of her daughter’s ordeal. ‘We went to the agency and they took loads of photographs but somebody said to her, “You need to lose a little bit of weight”.
‘I replied, “No, she doesn’t” and we walked out. It was ridiculous.’
It was after this incident that Linda noticed Lauren dropping weight, becoming dramatically thin, yet eating normally in front of her.
She deduced it was down to being bulimic, vomiting up the food she had eaten, and took her to seek help.
Lauren beat the condition after two years, when she was 19; but in 2008, more heartache ensued, when Ben Kinsella was stabbed to death.
Ben was a friend of Linda’s son Louis and was killed at the age of 16 when he was knifed 11 times while out celebrating the end of their GCSEs.
Louis saw Ben die in the street which led to PTSD and frequent severe panic attacks.
‘Louis is doing really well now. He’s really into his music and writing all the time,’ Linda said of her eldest son, who has, 10 years later, come out the other side.
Linda’s marriage was also tested when she lost her father due to lung cancer in 1997.
He was still a young man [57] and died a week after diagnosis.
Her mother died in 2012, also from cancer, this time stomach, age 75, which Linda admits was traumatic but that she died peacefully and pain-free.
Prior to marrying Mark, Linda was in a relationship with Tony Tyler for 11 years and they welcomed daughter Lauren in 1983.
Their relationship was plagued with woes, however, and she told the Loose Women audience in 2017: ‘I caught my ex several times cheating on me — even when I was pregnant with Lauren.
‘Once I was away and Lauren was away with me. When I got back, everything seemed fine in the flat. But when I went to go to bed that night, I moved the pillow and there was a tissue with lipstick on it, and long blonde hairs.’
Family: Linda and Mark share children Louis, 31, and Roberta, 27 (pictured: Linda with her daughters in 2011)
Linda said: ‘I remember saying to my ex “what’s this?”, and he said “one of my friends stayed and her partner, it must be from her.” But you know when you know?’
She explained how she did her own detective work as she was determined to find out what was going on.
Linda said: ‘When I found out it was like a relief because you know then it’s over, you’re not going mad.’
The star continued: ‘I’d found letters, I followed him. I caught him with someone while I was pregnant with Lauren as well. I was waiting outside the house and he went into this girl’s house.’
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