Alex Beresford's love life - Covid heartache, wedding sadness and wife's TV snub

20 September 2023 , 19:00

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Alex and Imogen have been together for three years after a mutual friend set them up on a blind date (Image: Instagram)

Good Morning Britain weatherman Alex Beresford has left his wife and son at home to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Travelling alongside his dad Noel, the father and son duo are making their way across 24 countries from Morocco to Norway in the latest series of BBC One's Celebrity Race Across the World - which airs tonight.

The Bristolian presenter swapped his usual suit for a backpack and boots on the hit BBC show, to travel thousands of miles in an effort to be crowned winner of the series. At Gatwick Airport, Alex had to hand over his mobile phone and credit cards, and said there was a "fine line between panic and excitement" having no contact with his other half, Imogen McKay.

Alex is on Celebrity Race Across the World with his dad Noel (Studio Lambert Ltd/Pete Dadds)

He chose not to take Imogen to spend quality time with his father (Instagram)

Alex, 42, has spoken out about his decision to take his dad along for the ride instead of Imogen, 30, and explained that he thought it was an opportunity to spend more time together. Speaking to Radio Times, he said: "You don't get to spend this sort of time with your parents as an adult. Imogen was upset, as she loves travelling and she's a fan of the show. But, as much as I love her and spending time with her, I'm not sure this was the honeymoon she'd want! With hindsight, I think I made the right decision."

The pair first began dating back in August 2020 after a mutual friend set them up on a blind date. They got engaged on New Year's Day two years later as Alex got down on one knee on a beach in Deia, Mallorca. In September 2022, they travelled back to Mallorca to get married on a romantic clifftop temple at the stunning Son Marroig estate.

Despite planning their wedding nine months in advance, the couple had not expected their nuptials to fall on the same day as the state funeral for the late Queen Elizabeth, on September 19. Alex paid a touching tribute to the monarch the morning of his wedding before kickstarting the celebrations. He said: "I woke up super early and watched the start of it (the funeral) on TV in a café in the village," explaining that was his way of "paying tribute".

EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness

The couple had a beautiful clifftop wedding in Mallorca last September (PA)

It was sadly on the day of the late Queen's funeral so Alex paid his respects (PA)

Alex's son Cruz, who is from a previous relationship, acted as his mini best man and the ring bearer, while his brother and cousin took on the role of ushers and his two best friends, both named Leon, were his best men. But it wasn't just his son that caused Alex's heart to melt, the broadcaster revealed that he couldn't contain himself when he saw Imogen walking down the aisle.

He told Hello! magazine: "When I turned to watch Imogen walking towards me, my heart skipped a beat. She looked amazing, so classically beautiful and exactly as I'd imagined." The weatherman went on to say that his cousin described the ceremony as "like being in a movie" but noted that the most important part of their day was "marrying the woman he loves". Imogen agreed she was overcome with emotion after seeing Alex at the white marble altar.

Prior to his marriage with Imogen, Alex was in a long-term relationship with his former girlfriend Natalia Beresford, which broke down at the end of 2019. They decided to remain living together but Natalia and their eight-year-old son Cruz moved out two weeks before the first lockdown was introduced. It was a very lonely and isolating time for Alex, who admitted that he never expected to be single at 40.

Alex was in a relationship with Natalia and they split at the start of lockdown (Instagram)

He is a proud father to an eight-year-old son called Cruz with ex Natalia (Instagram)

Speaking on the Get Britain Talking podcast, he said: "It's been a massive learning curve, I didn't think at the age of 20 that when I was approaching 40, I would be in this situation. The age of 40, you'll be married, you'll be a grown up, you'll have a kid or two, your life is going to be set. I'm not old, I don't feel old, it's a bit daunting. But we've been in lockdown, so even if I wanted to go on a date, I couldn't go on a date. I don't want to grow old on my own, life is for sharing and it'd be great to meet someone in the future but they have to be right for me, right for Cruz."

When Natalia had to self isolate for 14 days, Alex was unable to see Cruz and found it "really lonely". "I've realised how strong I am, but I am only strong because of the people I have behind me," he continued. "As we kind of moved into the summer, myself and Natalia decided we were going to part ways, which, you know me. I'm not a quitter, and I hate quitting things. We tried to work through things, but at some point you realise the best thing to do for everybody is walk away, but walking away is never easy."

He added: "We were in the same house up until the beginning of this year, knowing that we were parting ways, it takes a while to figure things out. One thing I didn't want to do is rush things. By being in that house, knowing we weren't together, we started to get on better - it removed a lot of the stress and expectation that a relationship can bring. It was so much to manage, we are only human and have feelings and emotions. The important thing is to open up and talk to someone about what you're going through."

Celebrity Race Across the World will premiere on Wednesday, September 20 at 9pm on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer.

Nia Dalton