Fern Britton praised by Ulrika Jonsson after divorce from Phil Vickery

Ulrika Jonsson has taken to her column to heap praise upon former This Morning host Fern Britton.

She said: “CONGRATULATIONS to the lovely Fern Britton, who looks and sounds like she’s got her life well and truly sussed.

“Despite now unexpectedly finding herself single at the tender age of 65 following her divorce from Phil Vickery, her hubby of 20 years, she says she feels ‘relaxed’ and that the world has really opened up to her.”

She went on to say in The Sun: “It’s been crucial and long overdue that we’ve finally opened up conversations about menopause and ageing in women.

“But what we rarely talk about are the positives of this new phase of our lives.”

In her column, Ulrika also said, like Fern, she feels more confident whilst having less patience for “life nonsense”.

Continuing to write: “My life is no longer solely about my fertility. I’ve grown to accept my body and my mistakes.

“I have even learnt to praise my own achievements. There is a greater autonomy that comes in later life, when many of us have adult children and find ourselves single.”

Fern, 65, announced her divorce from TV chef Phil Vickery, 62, in a joint statement on social media in January 2020 shortly after her father’s death.

Speaking to Good Housekeeping Magazine, Fern said: “My children are grown-up, and I’m no longer married, and it’s as if this whole other world has opened up,

“I never thought this would happen; I didn’t expect to be 65 and single and really relaxed.”

Fern, who is mum to twins Harry and Jack, 29, as well as Grace, 26, and Winnie, 21, also shared with the magazine how she has been taking time this past year to prioritise her health and wellbeing.

She explained how she went from doing no exercise and eating too much to deciding that she needed to look after herself.

Her new regime now includes yoga and the Couch to 5k running challenge.