05 September 2023 , 20:01
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Countryfile star Anita Rani has split from her husband of 14 years.
The 45-year-old tied the knot to Bhupi Rehal, in Bradford, West Yorks, in 2009, but the pair recently decided to call time on their relationship. A source said: “It’s really sad but they’ve decided to separate. Their hectic schedules over the past couple of years have sadly meant they’ve drifted apart over time. They remain on very good terms and wish nothing but the best for one another.”
Anita is in hot demand on TV, and juggles a series of jobs. She is currently filming a new series with C4 as well as fronting BBC ’s Countryfile. She also presents BBC Radio Four’s Women’s Hour and covers popular BBC Radio 2 shows. She also released a memoir The Right Sort of Girl in 2021 and is currently in talks with film production companies to adapt her fiction novel, Baby Does a Runner.
Bhupi has his own tech company. The pair don’t have any children. Anita has previously spoken about how happy she was with her husband, after meeting at a rave in east London. But she has admitted how their three-day traditional Sikh marriage was sped up for their parents, and how in the lead-up, she experienced a real case of cold feet.
Anita and Bhupi before the split (itsanitarani/Instagram)
Anita has previously spoken about her pre-wedding jitters (PA)"I just remember thinking, 'Who is all this for?' I was already 32 and I wasn't getting any younger," she said. "Of course, they were all thinking about children too - everyone apart from me, that is." She said of the big day itself: “My husband-to-be is sitting in front of the holy book waiting for me to walk down the carpeted aisle, to take my place cross-legged on the floor next to him, so we can begin our beautiful Sikh wedding ceremony.
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“What happens at this point in the movies? Butterflies in your belly? Everyone turns to smile at the beautiful bride? A full-blown song and dance sequence for the happiest day of your life? I’m freaking out. I’m looking out across the scene in front of me, serene, calm, quiet, and I am anything but. This was not how I’d planned life to be."
But the pair soon got into the swing of married life, as she added: "He's great and we have a great life. It's like any marriage: you have to work at it." Anita recently said she was enjoying being in her 40s, more than any other decade. She admitted: "My 40s rock! I think getting older rocks. We've been sold this lie that it's about being young, that once you leave your 20s that's it, you're not beautiful any more - or desirable.
"It's so superficial and such nonsense. Getting older gives you wisdom, power and a deeper understanding of yourself." Anita began her career as a researcher for the BBC’s Asian Network followed by presenting roles on Sky Sports’ Cricket AM and BBC One’s Watchdog, before her big break with The One Show and Countryfile.
She also reached the semi-final of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2015. A spokesperson for Anita Rani declined to comment.