'I made discovery on a girls' trip, I divorced my husband as soon as I got home'

11 March 2024 , 14:51

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Stephanie Hanson didn't realise that a girls' holiday would signal the end of her marriage (Image: Stephanie Hanson / SWNS)

A fun girls' holiday turned into a nightmare trip for mum Stephanie Hanson, who left England married and returned ready for a divorce.

Stephanie, from Liverpool, celebrated her 40th birthday in style with a holiday to Kefalonia, Greece in May 2022. While living wild and free with her two pals, she had a sudden realisation about her marriage.

While she had jetted off happily married to her husband, it wasn't until she was away from the stress of everyday life she realised she no longer had a desire to be with him anymore. The mum-of-four realised how unhappy she had become, and as soon as she returned, the mum told her husband it was over after it all dawned on her.

Stephanie spent her 40th drinking with her friends in the Greek sun (Stephanie Hanson / SWNS)

She missed her kids intensely, but the same could not be said for her husband, who she had no thoughts of at all. Added to that, she also realised just how unhappy she was in herself. Weighing 17st and in the 'worst shape of her life', Stephanie said she was determined to get healthy and begin a new chapter.

And as soon as she arrived back in the UK, she told her husband their marriage was over. Stephanie said at the time: "I remember thinking while I was away about how I really missed the kids, but I didn't miss my husband. I was in the worst shape of my life, and it dawned on me, at home, I was miserable - so I did something about it."

'I don't want children staying up late at weekends - I really need adult time'

Stephanie realised that she was 'miserable' in her marriage (Stephanie Hanson / SWNS)

Stephanie decided that her life needed a change, so she divorced her hubby (Stephanie Hanson / SWNS)

It was while relaxing by the pool and chatting with her friends that Stephanie came to the conclusion she no longer loved her husband. Stephanie said: "I was having the best time with the girls, and the thought of going back home to my husband was awful.

"I had a moment of clarity at the hotel that I I'd been miserable in my marriage for as long as I could remember. So when I flew back, I ended it there and then - and I knew I'd made the right decision when I saw his reaction."

Stephanie overhauled her health (Stephanie Hanson / SWNS)

She has a new boyfriend, David (Stephanie Hanson / SWNS)

After getting the photos developed from her holiday, Stephanie decided that her new era as a single woman was the perfect time to change her appearance. She began exercising at home using a hula hoop and drastically changed her diet andswapped chocolate, take-away meals and cream and butter-based dishes for lean meat, fish, salad and soup.

After a few months, she incorporated running into her fitness regime, and slowly but surely, she started to shed the weight she'd been carrying for a decade. Stephanie, who works as a phlebotomist, said: "After leaving my ex-husband, the next thing I needed to do was lose weight.

Stephanie and David are now happily dating (Stephanie Hanson / SWNS)

"The photos from the holiday made me see what horrible shape I was in, so I started working out at home and changed my diet. It was hard at first, but the motivation of being freshly single carried me through."

Now Stephanie has a new lease of life, has lost five stone in weight, and has even met a new man, David Baldwin. She said at the time that she "can't wait" for the future.

"In July, I met David on Facebook's dating website and we hit it off straight away. I met him around halfway through my fitness journey, but he didn't care about that, he loved me as I was," she revealed.

"I now weigh 12 stone, but I'm quite tall, so I think if I lose one more stone, that will be perfect. If I hadn't of gone on that holiday, I'd still be stuck in a marriage with a man I no longer loved, so to be where I am now, I couldn't be happier."

Niamh Kirk