Hollyoaks actor James Sutton, who is known for playing John Paul McQueen on the Channel 4 soap, has confirmed he has split from his wife after five years after quietly divorcing earlier this year.
He and wife Rachael Collin first met at Glastonbury Festival eight years ago, and tied the knot three years later.
But James has confirmed to the Mirror that their marriage has come to an end, saying: “Rachael and I had a wonderful relationship and marriage. It was very sad but amicable, and we remain friends.”
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A source added: “James and Rachael have enjoyed a really happy marriage but, as many couples can relate to, their relationship became strained during lockdown.
“James is in the public eye, whereas Rachael prefers to be out of the spotlight and, after eight fantastic years together, they decided they were better off as friends.”
The pair met when James helped Rachael set up her camping area, as he told the Sunday Mirror: “I was watching this girl pumping up an air bed with a foot pump for about half an hour and I thought, ‘I’ve got an electric pump in my bag, I could be a hero here’.
(Image: Instagram)
“So I went over and said, ‘Excuse me, do you want to borrow my pump?'”.
Rachael was a postgraduate student when they met, and transferred courses to Liverpool to be with James, and they returned to Glastonbury to tie the knot.
Before Rachael, James was engaged to model Kit Williams, but the pair split in 2017 after being engaged for two years.
(Image: LIMEPICTURES)
Over the years, James has become a soap icon for his role as John Paul McQueen.
He left the soap to star in Emmerdale in 2009, but returned to Hollyoaks in 2012 where he has remained ever since.
Hollyoaks airs weekdays on E4 at 7pm.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
