The ‘split’ secret behind Mark and Michelle’s marriage
Insiders reveal how Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan have kept the spark alive in their four-year marriage
THEY’RE NOT A BORING MARRIED COUPLE – THEY’RE ALWAYS OUT WITH MATES
Almost a year ago, Mark Wright sensationally quit the job of his dreams fronting American entertainment TV show Extra in the US, saying he felt it was “the right time” to return to the UK so he could be with his wife, Michelle Keegan.
His decision, made in February 2019, followed reports of trouble in their marriage. In October 2018, fans expressed concern as they hadn’t been pictured together in three months, due to their conflicting work schedules which had kept them apart. Michelle recently referred to that period of time as “really tough”.
SECRET PACT
But as they approach their fifth wedding anniversary in May, insiders say Mark and Michelle, both 32, have emerged from the difficult patch, and are now more united and stronger than ever before.
Pals reveal the pair have a secret pact, which is believed to be the reason their marriage works – and it involves splitting up on nights out.
A source says, “Mark and Michelle’s relationship isn’t like most couples. All they’ve really known is being forced to live apart due to work, followed by intense spells together when they visit each other or are both at home in Essex.
“They’re both really sociable and have large groups of friends and, as they don’t get much alone time, they have an agreement to always try to combine the two. So more often than not, they’ll see each other and their friends all at the same time to get as much time as possible together.
“They seem perfectly content to divide themselves between a big group of friends and not to have loads of alone time, as they say it makes the time they do have together even more special.”
SEPARATE
The pair rarely holiday as a couple, often opting to spend time abroad together with their loved ones. At the start of the year, Mark and Michelle went to Barbados, but it was a working holiday as Mark was filming an advert for Matalan. They went skiing in Switzerland in February with friends, and in August the couple went to Ibiza with their pals.
And when it comes to clubbing, the source says,
“They’ll start a night out together, then split and go their separate ways with their mates. They’ll then reunite at home, or in a hotel after partying.
“On a night out in London before Christmas, they went to a five-star hotel for drinks. Then, in the early evening, Michelle headed off with her friends in a taxi for a girls’ night, while Mark and his mates went to Chinatown. As soon as Michelle was out of earshot, he joked the boys were off to a strip club. He’s seen as the alpha male of his group, while Michelle is the alpha female among her friends. The situation seems to work really well for them.”
AMBITIOUS
Speaking last year about how they’ve made their transatlantic marriage work, Michelle said, “We saw each other a lot while he was over there [in America]. We weren’t going months and months without seeing each other, whatever people thought. It worked. Yeah, the travelling could get exhausting, but at this time in our lives, it was exciting and we can look back in ten or 20 years time and say, ‘God, what a great experience that was’.”
In September, she admitted she’d got used to living without Mark and refused to “pick his pants up from the floor”, saying,
“You get so used to living on your own and doing your own thing. Little things… You like your house a certain way.”
The source says, “They are both hugely ambitious and very supportive of each other’s dreams. And they’ve managed to keep the magic alive by avoiding all the mundane dayto-day parts of being a married couple. They don’t have to talk about what to eat for dinner, or who’s paying the gas bill – because that never becomes an everyday thing for them. They’ve never become a boring married couple – they’re always out with their mates together with a big group.
“When it is just the two of them, they do actually relish a quiet night in. They watch TV together with a takeaway, or Michelle loves cooking one of her favourites, like peri-peri prawns and garlic bread.
“And for them, this set-up ticks the box and has futureproofed their marriage”.