I felt like a Stepford Wife, says Louise Redknapp as she tells of marriage woe
‘I just couldn’t go back to that’
LOUISE Redknapp has revealed she is living apart from her husband, after competing in Strictly Come Dancing made her realise she couldn’t continue to be a ‘Stepford Wife’.
The 42-year-old opened up about her marital troubles for the first time after reportedly splitting from her husband, former footballer Jamie, 44, over the summer.
The mother-of-two said she ‘still loves’ her husband of almost 20 years – but that she needed to ‘put myself first’ and pursue her career in the West End.
Mrs Redknapp, who competed in Strictly last year, said it was dancing in the show that made her realise she ‘couldn’t go back’. ‘I became a sort of Stepford Wife, wanting to be perfect at it,’ she said.
‘It was only when I agreed to do Strictly Come Dancing that I realised I couldn’t just go back to that. I didn’t want to continue running around after everyone else, and occasionally promoting a yoghurt or doing a little TV presenting job.’
The former Eternal singer, who was a runner-up in last year’s series with professional partner Kevin Clifton, said she felt ‘physically sick’ at the prospect of never performing again.
She said: ‘I wanted to sing. I wanted to perform. I wanted to go back to work on a stage in front of an audience. I actually felt physically sick at the idea I’d never have that buzz again, that fulfilment I get from performing. And that is when the s*** hit the fan.’ Mrs Redknapp, who gave up her singing career in 2004 after the birth of her first child, admitted she struggled to watch her husband’s blossoming TV career.
In an emotional interview with The Sunday Telegraph’s Stella Magazine, she said: ‘Standing by and watching Jamie become this entertainment star was pretty hard.
‘I was proud of him, but there was a part of me thinking “that’s my world”. I could see the excitement he got out of it and I knew how that felt. But it wasn’t me feeling it anymore.’
Mrs Redknapp, who is currently starring as Sally Bowles in the West End musical Cabaret, said the hardest part of the split was moving out while still being in love.
Revealing the couple still speak every day, she said: ‘He’s an amazing man and we’ve had 20 good years together.
‘I know he’s trying to understand that I do need to do this.’
‘I have no idea what is going to happen, all I know is that I fought for this, it’s taken everything, but this is something I need to do – for me.’ Describing her decision to take part in Strictly as ‘the first selfish thing I’d done since my kids were born’, she said: ‘I’d been asked to do it before but always said no because I’ve never missed one of the kids’ matches, carol services, pick-ups, drop-offs or assemblies, as well as always being there to give them their dinner.’
‘I was about to turn them down again, but a friend of mine persuaded me to do it and – in a really shallow way – I thought it would help me lose a bit of weight. Jamie agreed it would be a nice thing for me to do.’
She added: ‘People might look at me and think I’ve got everything, but a sweeping staircase and designer handbag doesn’t really do it for me.
‘Being fulfilled, being true to yourself, following your passion, they are the things that make you happy.
‘I have no idea what is going to happen, all I know is that I fought for this, it’s taken everything, but this is something I need to do – for me.’
She also praised fellow Strictly contestant Daisy Lowe – who was blamed for leading Mrs Redknapp ‘astray’ during her marriage woes – for being a huge inspiration.
Describing how the 28-year- old model helped her regain her confidence, she added: ‘She completely believes in following your passion and fulfilling yourself as a woman, which I find really inspiring.’