Rapper Professor Green and fashion designer Millie Mackintosh have announced their separation after just two years of marriage. In a joint statement given to Newsbeat, the couple said: 'It is with sadness and regret that we confirm our separation. It is a mutual decision, we still care deeply about each other and would like it to be known that it is on amicable terms and we wish each other well.'
The couple, who married in 2013 at Babington House in Somerset, had been together since Professor Green saw Millie on the cover of FHM magazine. However, rumours of marital problems have circulated for months. Last year, the rapper revealed to a newspaper that they had been attending counselling to try to save their relationship.
Professor Green, whose real name is Stephen Manderson, grew up on a council estate in Hackney, east London, and was raised by his grandmother and great-grandmother. Millie Mackintosh, a former star of Made in Chelsea, attended boarding school and is an heiress to the Quality Street chocolate fortune.
In a recent interview with The Sun, Professor Green admitted to spending little time with his wife, saying: 'We had seen each other like ships in the night, but we weren't getting any quality time together.' He added that time apart could lead to arguments when they did reunite. Despite the separation, neither party has filed for divorce, and Millie was seen at London Fashion Week still wearing her wedding ring.
