Navigating the aftermath of a relationship can be a tumultuous journey, akin to traversing a mountain range on a stormy sea, as both parties grapple with their emotions and attempt to heal. Whether a marriage was involved, breakups can be excruciating experiences. Moving on can be daunting and require considerable time for everyone involved.
This was one of the subjects delved into by former X Factor star Rylan Clark, 36, and his guest Vanessa Williams on his podcast 'Rylan: How to Be In Love', where they discussed their personal romantic histories.
Rylan has been married once, to Dan Neal, from 2015 to 2021. On the other hand, The Devil Wears Prada Musical actress Vanessa, 62, has been down the aisle three times. Her first husband was Ramon Hervey II, followed by Rick Fox, and most recently Jim Skrip. Interestingly, both Rylan and Vanessa share a common timeline in their marital history, with Vanessa marrying Jim in 2015 and divorcing him in 2021, mirroring Rylan's own marital journey.
Reflecting on their respective divorces, Rylan admitted it was an experience he wouldn't want to repeat due to the immense pain it caused him.
He confessed that he still encounters painful reminders of his heartbreak, sharing: "I've had to do it once, and once was enough for me. You still get that weird sharp pain every now and again.
"It'll be something so stupid like, 'Oh that glass looks like...' and it's, like, that little. I couldn't imagine going through that twice. I don't know how I'd fare."
Rylan has previously opened up about his marriage to Dan, with the BBC Radio 2 presenter confessing he experienced certain feelings he wasn't familiar with post-divorce.
Speaking on the same podcast, he admitted: "I have found that, since the breakdown of my marriage, if I've gone on any dates or started seeing people, when I've had sex with them, I lose interest pretty quickly.
"I actually got pretty worried about a year or two ago, because I thought, hang on a minute, I don't remember this from BM I call it, before marriage.
"I don't remember having sex with someone, or orgasming with someone, climaxing, and then after that thinking, 'Oh, I'm just not bothered now'."
