The ex-wife of Dr Ranj Singh has spoken publicly about their 'messy' divorce following the television doctor's decision to come out as gay. Dr Singh, 46, who previously appeared on This Morning, realised his sexuality at the age of 30 while undergoing therapy. At the time, he was living with his wife, Sulvinder Samra, whom he had been married to for seven years. He disclosed his sexuality to Samra in 2009, and the couple eventually divorced in 2011.
A Heartfelt Anniversary Post
On what would have been their 20th wedding anniversary, Samra took to Instagram on Friday, 29 May, to reflect on the 'painful' end of their marriage. In her emotional post, she revealed that the breakup led her to feel undeserving of happiness and doubt her ability to be a good mother. 'I grew up being told that I must set a good example, get a good education, a good job, and an Indian husband,' she wrote. 'When it ended, both parties were hurting, and a divorce was the only option. I mourned. It was heavy because the future I thought I had was gone and the person that I thought I had married was gone as well.'
Samra continued: 'I questioned everything. I felt extremely unattractive. I was ashamed. I believed I was not good enough. On the outside, I was pretending. I looked fine but I felt dead inside because I'm not good enough.'
A Turning Point
The turning point came three years ago when Samra decided to confront her fears and took a 'leap of faith' by quitting her job. She also recalled how her sister's cancer diagnosis shifted her priorities, as she witnessed 'true bravery'. 'Don't let the past dictate your future,' Samra urged her followers. 'You get to choose what your story is going to be… no one else.'
Samra and Dr Ranj Singh first met in 2003 and married in a traditional Sikh ceremony in 2006.
Dr Singh's Reflections
Earlier this week, Dr Singh opened up about his coming out journey in an interview with The Big Issue. 'I had the career I'd always wanted, I always wanted a home of my own. I'd ticked all my boxes. So the big question was, why am I still not 100 per cent happy? Why does it still feel like something's not right? And that's when therapy brought all of that stuff out,' he said.
In 2018, Dr Singh appeared as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, where he advocated for dancing with a male partner, two years before the BBC show introduced same-sex couples. He ultimately performed with former professional dancer and It Takes Two presenter Janette Manrara, being eliminated in the seventh week.
Dr Singh is now in a relationship with actor James Colebrook. Earlier this year, he denied claims of being sacked by Morning Live bosses, stating he was 'unable' to appear on the BBC series. He has been the show's resident medic since 2020, but his absence over the past six months sparked speculation about behind-the-scenes issues.
