Martin Clunes has encountered the same rocky romantic roads as his on-screen alter ego in the beloved TV comedy-drama ‘Doc Martin’.
The celebrated ITV star has trod the aisle twice over the years; but, alas, his initial union with Lucy Aston was not written in the stars, culminating in some acrid exchanges as their divorce proceedings drew to a close.
Thankfully, marital bliss appears to be on firmer ground the second time around, with his current wife bringing a tranquil domesticity. What’s more, Martin proudly introduced his daughter Emily into the heart of Doc Martin, having her join the cast in its fourth run.
From openly discussing a past union gone “rotten” to settling into a serene farmhouse life, the actor’s love life has been anything but mundane.
So, who is Lucy Aston, his erstwhile spouse? And just how did Martin Clunes find lasting happiness with Philippa Braithwaite?
‘Rotten’ marriage
(Image: 1990)
Men Behaving Badly star Martin Clunes first tied the knot with his now ex-wife Lucy Aston in 1990. But just three years later, the pair called it quits after the “final straw” hit at a clash over dinner.
Lucy was working as a health food store clerk while studying for a qualification as a crisis counsellor, though she later became an actress – starring in projects like Waiting for God. She told The Mirror back in 1997: “[Martin] told me I was boring and different and I just thought: ‘No more.’ I stood up and said ‘thanks for dinner – this is the end’ and stormed out. I sat in the car shaking with rage.”
She went on: “Later I went back and Martin was sitting there, surrounded by take- away cartons filled with our meal. He just looked at me. I took off my gold wedding ring, slammed it on the table and walked out. We both knew it was over.”
Lucy was “furious” when Martin had headed out to a party and left her at home, with Aston claiming she had “become an embarrassment” to her husband.
She then headed to the USA for a 10-week trip, and when she returned Martin was already dating Doc Martin producer Philippa, which Lucy considered a “bombshell”. Martin and Lucy finalised their divorce in 1997 – the same year he tied the knot with Philippa.
Bitter rows
(Image: Daily Mirror)
Martin later claimed he and Lucy had mended their relationship enough to become “friends”, claiming: “We had a problem enjoying each other but now I can enjoy Lucy again. We are friends and can appreciate each other.” But in 2008 he called their marriage “rotten”.
He told the Mail’s Weekend magazine: “I don’t know if I was searching for anything. Maybe I was. I kind of found it without looking. When I met Philippa I was coming out of a rotten marriage, and was very resistant to the idea of getting involved again.”
At the same time, Lucy hit back to the publication: “I want Martin to stop telling everyone what a failure it was and what an awful time he had. In truth, I was the one who had a terrible time. I’ll always love Martin, but he needs to take responsibility for the collapse of our marriage instead of constantly dismissing it so scathingly in public.”
Co-star family
Thankfully Martin’s life is now more settled, with him starring alongside his wife Philippa in various projects. They first met in 1994, working on the comedy film Staggered, just after Clunes’ split from his first wife.
Martin proposed after the pair were separated for months at a time while he completed filming in San Francisco and Hawaii, admitting: “It was the longest we’d been apart, and I missed her so much that I proposed, while she was really jet-lagged and in such a strange place.”
In 1999 the pair welcomed daughter Emily, who went on to star in a season four episode of Doc Martin alongside her famous dad.
Farm life
(Image: PA WIRE)
Martin now lives with his wife at a stunning Dorset farm over 130 acres of land. They share a variety of animals including four dogs, two cats, 14 horses and chickens.
But last year his quiet rural life was thrown into jeopardy as Martin became embroiled in a planning row when his neighbours had a proposal to develop a site for traveller caravans nearby approved.
Clunes and his wife objected to the plans, branding it “wholly unsuitable” for the Dorset area. But planners insisted the area would be perfect for “gypsies, travellers and travelling showpeople”.
Martin’s planning agent Will Cobley said: “Our clients have lived at their property for many years and are concerned by the proposal, which seeks to authorise and intensify a nearby traveller use on a permanent basis. The site is a wholly unsuitable location for a traveller site in an area of countryside and the Dorset area of outstanding natural beauty contrary to national planning policy.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
