05 February 2024 , 09:24
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Vanessa Feltz was left feeling "humiliated and hurt" after her ex Ben Ofoedu revealed he wanted to date her friend Ulrika Jonsson.
It came just as Vanessa felt "settled enough" to spend her first night alone since their split. Vanessa, 61, was said to be "mortified" when Ben publicly expressed his interest in Ulrika and criticised her for ignoring him during a night out with his new girlfriend.
Vanessa, who spent 16 years with Phats and Small singer Ben, 51, has been open about her heartbreak after finding out on Christmas Day 2022 via social media that he had cheated on her while on tour with his band.
According to an insider "Ben's behaviour is humiliating for Vanessa, but she's stronger than ever at the moment and can pick herself back up from anything." After their break-up, Vanessa spent a long time in shock, dreading the thought of spending a night alone - but now, she realises she's better off alone than being with Ben.
Vanessa Feltz 'mortified' as Ben Ofoedu adds to humiliation after split (Instagram)
Ben Ofoedu and Vanessa Feltz were together for 16 years (Getty Images for Orion Books)Recently, Vanessa and Ben narrowly avoided an awkward encounter at a West End theatre event, where Ben was accompanied by his rumoured new girlfriend, reality TV star Precious Muir, 34. Although a source said Vanessa had "no idea" her ex was also there, Ben later stated on his social media: "Reportedly, she saw me and it's a shame she didn't come up and say hello."
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Sex and relationship expert Annabelle Knight reckons Ben's public criticism of Vanessa is likely a way to distract from his own bad behaviour. "By calling Vanessa out, he's drawing attention to her so-called poor behaviour and deflecting from his own, but I wouldn't say ignoring an ex is poor behaviour," she told OK! Magazine. "If Vanessa did do this, she probably did it to protect her own mental health because it's really difficult seeing your ex-partner, especially at an event where you have to put on a brave front."
Ben stirred up more drama during a chat with former Apprentice star Ryan-Mark Parsons. He joked about his social media habits, saying: "I always reply to all my DMs, that's why I'm in this trouble," and revealed his celebrity crushes actress Sheridan Smith and presenter Ulrika Jonsson. Speaking about "gorgeous, stunning" Ulrika, Ben said he would "100% pursue her".
Ulrika, 56, was one of the first women to support Vanessa when news of the split first broke, offering "heartfelt condolences" to her fellow broadcaster "for what she's being forced to endure". Given the two women are friends, Annabelle said Ben's comments could cast doubt over his whole relationship with Vanessa. "It's humiliating for him to talk about people like Ulrika and Sheridan," she said. "As the ex-partner, you start to ask, 'How long did they feel like that? Have they thought about them when we had sex? You can quickly spiral into that thought process. It doesn't matter whether you're a celebrity, the hurt is still the same. But a celebrity has to play out their hurt in public for everyone to see, and everyone to have an opinion on."
Ulrika also criticised Ben last year for "playing hide the sausage with his accomplice" and labelled his public apology to Vanessa as "hollow" and "predictable". However, people were surprised when the Swedish presenter responded to a photo of Ben and Ryan-Mark on the latter's Instagram page with a love heart.
Ben also told Ryan-Mark he regretted never having children, and denied that money had played a part in his relationship with Vanessa, who is reportedly worth around £38 million, while hinting that there was more to come out about their break up. "I think I got pretty much a bad rap," he said. "And I think that as time goes on, everyone will begin to makeup their mind about what's really going on out here."