Chantelle Houghton has opened up on her divorce from ex-husband Preston – admitting that marriage can place a ‘huge burden’ on a relationship.
The Celebrity Big Brother winner, 40, met the Ordinary Boys singer, 41, on the reality show in 2006 and the pair were engaged in April of that year before tying the knot just four months later. But they were divorced within 18 months – despite Chantelle thinking they would be together ‘for the rest of her life’.
Chantelle discussed her relationship with Preston and gave her views on marriage during a debate on Friday’s Good Morning Britain. Speaking to hosts Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard, she said she believed tying the knot was no longer necessary and an engagement ring would suffice to prove a commitment between a couple.
She said: “I got married and I genuinely felt like I was gonna be with Preston for the rest of my life but 18 months later we were divorced.
“Neither of us were dead, yet we vowed until death do us part.”
According to statistics, 36% of people believe marriage isn't forever. And Chantelle argued that while she loved the idea of marriage, she thought it was too big a commitment.
She added: “I just think it's a huge burden on your relationship, you're like, ‘Oh we are married now this has to work’ and I just think you can make a commitment to someone by buying an engagement ring.'
She went on: “I am not bitter or twisted about marriage at all, I think it is a beautiful thing, but I just feel like in today's society and the way the world has changed and the way people have change and people grow, to actually say, ‘I am going to be with you for the rest of my life’ is a huge thing to say.
“Don't get me wrong, I love weddings. I think it's a beautiful commitment but it doesn't always last forever.”
Last year Chantelle revealed how she and Preston were still in regular contact 15 years after their divorce. In an exclusive interview with new magazine, she said: "We text every few months or something like that. We’ll always be friends. We’ve got such special memories together and have inside jokes no one else would get. It’s nice that we’ve kept what we had."
Meanwhile, reflecting on her relationship with Preston earlier this month, she told The Sun: “Being in the house and meeting Preston was a whirlwind. It was such a happy time.
“I finally got over the fact I was the only non-celebrity, I’d passed the task, and then I was just slowly falling in love with somebody. I’ve still got so much love for him. We were just so young, and it was so full-on. It was like a holiday romance, but it was so much more intensified.”
Elsewhere this week, Chantelle showed off her five stone weight loss as she frolicked on the beach during a sun-soaked holiday abroad. The TV star oozed confidence as she took a dip in the sea in her matching crochet-style two-piece, opting for a plunge bra and knickers to showcase her new figure.
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