Linda Robson officially confirmed her split from Mark Dunford this week after 33 years of marriage.
The 65-year-old Loose Women star shared the news with Woman magazine this week, admitting that “enough is enough.”
The ex-couple have children Louis (31) and Roberta (27) and have experienced difficult times in recent years, which led them to the brink of divorce in 2017.
While they have overcome their previous hurdles, the recent marital problems proved too much and they broke up.
Now Web reveals what you need to know about Mark Dunford.
Separation: Linda Robson, 65, has officially confirmed her separation from Mark Dunford, 63, after 33 years of marriage
Hard: The ex-couple have children Louis (31) and Roberta (27) and have experienced difficult times in recent years (pictured at their wedding in 1990 to Pauline Quirke, right).
What does Linda Robson’s estranged husband Mark Dunford do for a living?
Mark spent much of his life as a window cleaner and now owns his own business.
How did Linda Robson and Mark Dunford meet?
As teenagers, Linda and Mark lived near each other in Islington – where Linda has lived all her life – and their parents were friends.
While speaking on Loose Women in 2017, Linda revealed that she looked after Mark as children as they knew each other from a young age.
Speaking about the role of fate in her life, the Bird Of A Feather star explained that he was just a child at the time, so there was no chemistry yet.
“I used to babysit for Mark – he was a few years younger than me,” she remembers.
“He was only two and a half years younger than me!” I was 16 and he was 13.5, and to be honest he was a bit annoying. And we lived next to each other on the street.’
The star firmly believed it was fate that brought Mark to her – after she and her three-year-old met him while walking in a local park years later.
During the unexpected encounter, Linda revealed that her daughter had asked Mark if he could give her a lift home.
“And then he drives us home and then asks me out. “So it was fate that day because I had known him my whole life and had never seen him in that way before,” she added.
Afterwards, Mark asked Linda out, but she revealed that she wasn’t sure if it was a real date or not, and the duo went to a local Italian restaurant.
How they met: Linda and Mark close to each other in Islington – where Linda has lived all her life – and Linda looked after him (pictured 2015)
Why did Linda Robson and Mark Dunford split up?
Linda and Mark – who married in 1990 – live together in London but it was recently claimed they were having relationship difficulties.
She confirmed the split this week, telling Woman magazine: “He’s a really good father and we’ve had some good years, but enough is enough.”
“I have my family and my children around me.” And in November I’m going on a cruise with Lesley Joseph. I’m busy. I feel good. I go on trips all the time.
‘I’m not interested [in dating] Honest. I can’t handle all of this.’
The TV personality previously revealed that her problems began when children Lauren and Louis each experienced traumatic events that put their marriage to the test.
Things were put to the test when Lauren was diagnosed with bulimia and Louis was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing his friend’s murder.
“People always said [Lauren] “Looked like Kate Moss,” she said, beginning by talking about her daughter’s ordeal. “We went to the agency and they took loads of photos, but someone said to her: ‘You need to lose some weight.’
“I replied, “No, she doesn’t,” and we walked out. It was ridiculous.’
After this incident, Linda noticed that Lauren was losing weight, becoming dramatically thin, but still eating normally in front of her eyes.
She concluded it was due to bulimia and vomiting the food she ate and took her to seek help.
Lauren beat the disease after two years, when she was 19; But more heartache struck in 2008 when Ben Kinsella was stabbed to death.
Ben was a friend of Linda’s son Louis and was killed aged 16 when he was stabbed eleven times while celebrating the end of her GCSEs.
Louis saw Ben die on the streets, which led to post-traumatic stress disorder and frequent severe panic attacks.
“Louis is doing really well now. “He’s really interested in his music and his writing,” Linda said of her oldest son, who has come out the other side 10 years later.
Linda’s marriage was also tested when she lost her father to lung cancer in 1997.
He was still a young man [57] and died a week after diagnosis.
Her mother died in 2012, also of cancer, this time of the stomach, at the age of 75. Linda admits it was traumatic but she died peacefully and painlessly.
A source told The Sun on Sunday: “Linda has been quite open behind the scenes about the problems in her marriage.”
“They went through a difficult period before Christmas but they managed to get through it.”
“Linda reached out to her family and close friends who have supported her through it all.”
While Linda denied that she was in the midst of a “marriage crisis,” she admitted that things weren’t going smoothly with her longtime love.
When asked by The Sun about the crisis, she replied: “It’s a load of nonsense.”
“We still live together.” We both love our children more than anything in the world, obviously there are some problems in every marriage.
“We’ve been married for 33 years, so things won’t be smooth sailing, but for now we’re still together.”
The actress recently spoke about the “ups and downs” in her relationship.
She told Best magazine: “There have been ups and downs, of course, like any couple.” What I think we have in common is that we love our children more than anything.
In June, the mother-of-three admitted she hadn’t had sex with Mark for two years while the Loose Women panel discussed whether taking a “sex break” can help difficult relationships.
Last year, Linda revealed she had never taken off her clothes in front of her husband and went into the bathroom to change into her pajamas.
The TV presenter opened up about her personal life in an October 2022 episode of Loose Women, admitting that her Catholic upbringing influenced her views on nudity.
Linda said: “I find it quite difficult, I’ve never undressed in front of my husband, so when I put on my pajamas I go to the toilet.”
“My children saw me undressed, but not my husband or my former partners because my mother was Irish Catholic.”
Family: Linda and Mark share children Louis, 31, and Roberta, 27 (pictured: Linda with her daughters in 2011)
Why did Linda Robson break up with Tony Tyler?
Before marrying Mark, Linda dated Tony Tyler for 11 years.
Linda met Tony when she was 17 and they had Lauren when she was 25 – but their relationship was plagued by problems.
She told the Loose Women audience in 2017: “I caught my ex cheating on me several times – even when I was pregnant with Lauren.”
“One time I was away and Lauren was away with me. When I returned, everything seemed fine in the apartment. But when I went to bed that night, I moved the pillow and there was a handkerchief with lipstick and long blonde hair on it.”
Linda said: “I remember saying to my ex: ‘What is that?’ and he said: ‘One of my friends stayed and her partner, it must be hers.’ But you know it when you see it white?’
She explained how she did her own detective work as she became determined to find out what was going on.
Linda said: “When I found out I was relieved because you know you won’t go crazy when it’s over.”
The star continued: “I had found letters and followed him. “I also caught him with someone when I was pregnant with Lauren. I was waiting outside the house and he went into this girl’s house.’
Problems: Before Linda married Mark, she was in a relationship with Tony Tyler for 11 years and they had daughter Lauren in 1983, but he cheated on her several times