Vogue Williams’ fears following split from husband Brian McFadden: ‘I’ve ruined my life’
She’s now happily married to Spencer Matthews
19 May 2025, 16:16
Tags: Brian McFadden, Entertainment, Spencer Matthews, Vogue Williams
Vogue Williams has opened up about her split from her first husband – and her fears afterwards that she would “never have kids”.
The star – who is mum to Theodore, six, Gigi, four, and Otto, two, with husband Spencer Matthews – was previously married to Westlife singer Brian McFadden.
And Vogue has now spoken about her fears following their split, as she opened up about being a divorcee at the age of 31…
Vogue Williams on split from first husband
Model and presenter Vogue Williams married Brian McFadden in September 2012. They split three years later and their divorce was finalised in 2017.
Speaking on The Life of Bryony podcast, Vogue – who turns 40 in October – reflected on her love life ahead of her milestone birthday.
“I am excited at turning 40,” she said. “When you are 19 or 20, you think that 40 year olds are really old and battered. Then you actually get there and you think, this is a really nice moment.
“In your thirties, you are still trying to figure stuff out. I remember being divorced at 31 and thinking, I’ve ruined my life. I am never going to have kids, I am never going to do what I always wanted to do.
“Then you see how your life actually starts to unfold – that’s why it feels exciting to move into your forties.”
Wedding blues
From the off Vogue said that she had concerns she was making a mistake by marrying Brian.
In excerpts from her upcoming autobiography, Big Mouth, serialised in Life Magazine, Vogue reveals worrying details of her wedding day.
She writes: “The morning of the wedding I felt very stressed and so anxious because deep down I knew I had made a mistake. After the wedding I tried to make things work. The relationship wasn’t all terrible, we did have some great times too, and for the most part he was good fun to be around. But he was not husband material.
“It was me who called it in the end. I couldn’t keep trying, it felt pointless. I’m not here to throw anyone under the bus but there are things that went on in our relationship that will never be forgiven.”
Rift rumours with second husband Spencer Matthews
“After my divorce, I wanted to go and be worldly: live a life going on loads of dates – it just didn’t happen,” she said on the podcast this week.
Vogue, of course, went on to marry Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews in 2018.
“When I met Spencer, I knew I shouldn’t go for him. I based that on what others had said about him. But, when you meet him, you’re just drawn to him. You want to be in his company. He’s funny, he’s self-deprecating. Quite Irish in that sense,” she said.
Vogue also opened up about the constant rumours about their relationship being on the rocks.
“We live in a world now where it’s possible for literally any random person to get a thought in their head and spread it around. What do you do? You have to just constantly bat off rumours and crap that you know isn’t true.
“Me and Spencer choose the route of just letting it go over our heads. There’s always going to be people who spread gossip, you have to leave them to it.
“I have a great family, I am happy at the moment. I don’t need to be worried about what anyone else is saying,” she added.
Why did Vogue Williams and Brian McFadden split?
Vogue Williams and Brian McFadden tied the knot on September 2, 2012. However, their union wasn’t to be…
However, three years later, in the summer of 2015, it was announced that they were going their separate ways.
So what happened between the once-golden couple?
Why Vogue Williams and Brian McFadden split
The couple’s marriage ended amicably, with both citing their move to Australia as a contributing factor behind their split.
Brian’s work as a judge on Australia’s Got Talent led to his move to Australia, and Vogue followed her husband out there.
She later stated she felt she was “running away” from her problems in Ireland, including the death of her father. She also hinted that she “didn’t make the right choice” in moving to Australia with Brian.
Brian, meanwhile, suggested she may have been “getting a bit edgy” in Australia. He suggested that she struggled with the isolation and adjustment to life in Australia.
How Vogue feels now
Vogue has described the marriage as an “epic failure” and “painfully embarrassing”, particularly due to its public nature. She has also stated that there were things that happened in their relationship that she “will never be forgiven”.
“I got married and divorced really young and I found that painfully embarrassing because it was just like such an epic failure and it was so public,” she said.
“Now I look back and I’m like, do you know what, no it’s not! It was a learning curve, but again, no one died, who cares?”
The couple finalised their divorce in 2017.
Vogue Williams and Brian McFadden move on
Vogue is now happily married to Spencer Matthews. They share three young children together.
Brian, meanwhile, announced his engagement to PE teacher Danielle Parkinson in December 2019. They went on to have a daughter together in 2021.
He was previously married to Kerry Katona and engaged to singer Delta Goodrem.
