ITV’s Loose Women personality Linda Robson separates from her husband following 33 years of marriage

 

Linda Robson, a panelist on ITV’s daytime show Loose Women and star of Birds of a Feather, has officially announced the end of her 33-year marriage to husband Mark Dunford. The 65-year-old actress confirmed the separation, stating “enough is enough.” Speculation about the couple’s relationship had been circulating for months, with Linda addressing the topic on the show. In September, she mentioned that she was “not looking for anyone” and candidly expressed her sentiments by saying she “can’t be bothered.”

Now, the star has confirmed to Woman magazine that she is currently unattached. Speaking about her ex-husband Mark, she stated, “He’s a really good dad, and we had some good years, but enough is enough.

“I’ve got my family and my kids around me. And I’m going on a cruise with Lesley Joseph in November. I’m keeping busy. I feel fine. I’m just going away on trips all the time.

“I’m not interested [in dating], honestly. I can’t be bothered with all that.”

Linda had previously sparked speculation about marriage troubles during an appearance on Loose Women. During the show, she discussed her sex life, revealing that she and Mark hadn’t been intimate in two years. In June, Linda said on the ITV show, “Can I just say I’ve been celibate for two years?” Denise Welch chimed in, saying, “I know, but you’ve got to get with it.”

Linda then mentioned, “I know, you got me a lady friend,” with Denise confirming she made the purchase.

Despite such comments, Linda had initially dismissed concerns over her marriage, branding rumours of a separation as “rubbish.”

Addressing the speculation, Linda stated, “That’s a load of rubbish. We’re still living together. We both love our kids more than anything else in the world. Obviously, you have a few hiccups in every marriage.

“We’ve been married for 33 years, so it’s not going to be all plain sailing, but we’re still together at the moment.” However, in August, Linda made a cryptic comment about Mark and her marriage struggles as she took a playful jab at her husband while discussing her weekend.

Talking about her weekend on the programme, Linda revealed she took herself out for dinner as all the kids had left, and the only company at home was her dog and her husband. She added, “Notice the order!” She mentioned her pet pooch before her husband, causing laughter among the Loose Women stars.

Linda and Mark’s relationship dates back to their teenage years, although they didn’t start dating until later. In 2017, Linda revealed, “I used to babysit for Mark – he was a couple of years younger than me… I was 16, and he was 13 and a half, and he was a bit of a pain, to be honest. And we lived in the street next to each other.”

Their romantic connection blossomed after reuniting years later when Linda was in the park with her eldest daughter Lauren, whom she shares with her ex Tony Tyler. Recalling the encounter, Linda said, “Lauren said, ‘Can you give us a lift home,’ and then he asked me out on a date. So that was fate that day because I’d known him all my life, and I’d never seen him in that way before.”

This chance meeting led to their marriage in 1990. The couple welcomed two children together, Roberta, 27, and Louis, 31. Unfortunately, Linda also suffered a miscarriage, a topic she first publicly discussed in 2021.