Vanessa Feltz spends her 61st birthday as a single woman

‘I’m battered and bruised’: Vanessa Feltz spends her 61st birthday as a single woman following split from cheating Ben Ofoedu, 50, as she says she’s ‘born and bred to be married’

Vanessa Feltz turned 61 on Tuesday and will be celebrating it as a single woman following her split from cheating Ben Ofoedu. 

The broadcaster wrote in her Express column that she was ‘battered and bruised’ after learning about 50-year-old Ben’s betrayal following their sixteen-year romance. 

Saying she is ‘born and bred to be married,’ Vanessa was optimistic about the future, writing: ‘I am curious about who and what the future will bring.’ 

Vanessa remarked on what a difference 12 months makes as she acknowledged the end of her relationship, starting a new job at TalkTalk after 33 years at the BBC. 

She also ’embarked on Instagram’ and became a grandmother for the fourth time when Cecily Violet was born.’

‘I’m battered and bruised’: Vanessa Feltz will be spending her 61st birthday as a single woman on Tuesday following split from cheating Ben Ofoedu, 50, as she said she’s ‘born and bred to be married’

Vowing to put her ‘best foot forward in the time-honoured position’ it’s clear the only way is up for the much-loved radio presenter. 

Her words come after the woman who Ben reportedly strayed with, exclusively told MailOnline for the first time how she sent a bombshell email to Vanessa, followed by an ‘awkward’ phone call, in which she blew the whistle on Ben’s ‘serial womanising’.

Ben’s fling told Vanessa she had been ‘hopelessly in love’ with him after a series of steamy encounters in Ibiza and Thailand.

But she insisted that the BBC Radio 2 host deserved to know her partner had tried to seduce at least three other younger women.

The successful businesswoman – who bears a close resemblance to Vanessa – said she initially had no idea that Ben had a long-term partner when her romance with him began, and she broke off the relationship as soon as she found out.

But beachclub owner and restaurateur Ella, 59, who does not wish to use her real name, described him as ‘an octopus who has no respect for women’ and said she wanted to set the record straight after he ‘peddled lies’ about their year-long fling.

After the email, Ella and Vanessa had a ‘difficult’ phone conversation during which Vanessa told her that what she and Ofoedu had done was ‘very wrong’.

In the email, Ella wrote to Vanessa: ‘I was aware of his relationship with you, and I felt very guilty but he pursued me so much I couldn’t resist his charm.

Shocking: The woman who Ben reportedly strayed with, told MailOnline for the first time how she sent a bombshell email to Vanessa, followed by an ‘awkward’ phone call, in which she blew the whistle on Ben’s ‘serial womanising’ (Vanessa and Ben in August 2021) 

‘I was terrified sending that email,’ said Ella, ‘and even more so when Vanessa called me back. I completely understood her anger at me and I certainly didn’t respond angrily to her, but it was a very awkward conversation.’

Despite the revelations about Ben’s behaviour in the email and phone call, Vanessa apparently decided to forgive him.

Earlier this month however, Vanessa announced she had finally dumped Phats and Smalls singer Ben after a series of other illicit relationships emerged.

Mother-of-one Ella has remained silent for six years, but only decided to speak out after she said Ben insulted her in his toe-curling mea culpa interview last week, in which he described their relationship as ‘purely sexual with no feelings involved’ and — most disparagingly — that sex with her was ‘almost a chore’.

Earlier this month, a tearful Ben Ofoedu admitted he did cheat on Vanessa.

On the road: It’s been claimed that Ben’s return to touring with Phats & Small (pictured) at holiday parks around the UK led to his alleged roaming eye (Ben pictured with bandmate Jason Phats, right, in 2008)

Ben has also admitted he had a sexting relationship with a fan of Phats & Small, and that he flirted with another woman at a Butlin’s.

In the video he says: ‘Firstly I’d like to apologise to Vanessa and also to my family. This last week has been incredibly painful. I’ve never had this amount of abuse.

‘I will always love Vanessa she is the Queen of my heart she was my everything. But I have been incredibly foolish and stupid. I just have to hold my hands up and be honest. I have every regret – where do you want me to start!

‘It has been a lot. It is about my behaviour, I have to look at myself. I have been doing a lot of soul searching over the past three weeks. I’m not here to point fingers I am here to say it’s me and I need to work on myself.

‘I don’t come from a family that spoke about therapy but I’d love now to see a therapist. I need someone to help me sort things out. There were two situations that have meant I have effectively thrown my life away.’

Ben previously told The Mirror of the Ibiza fling: ‘I met her on the gig scene. She was the same age as Vanessa, possibly older. She took a shine to me, said lots of nice things. 

Shock: It come after it emerged Vanessa learned her ex-fiancé Ben was cheating on her on Christmas Day when his lover trolled her daughter Allegra online (Vanessa and Allegra pictured in 2021)

‘Over a short period of time we had sex three times. It was purely sexual, there were no feelings involved. It felt like a chore. I just fell back into it with her to keep her sweet and everything under wraps.’

Ben said he struggled to come to terms with Vanessa’s apparent lack of desire to get married, despite the pair getting engaged in 2006. 

He explained: ‘I cheated because I was insecure. The girl in Ibiza said things like “You’re such a great guy. I don’t know why you’re not married. Who wouldn’t want to marry you?” That coupled with alcohol was a recipe for disaster. It was a volatile situation. That’s why that happened.’

Vanessa previously said she was hesitant to get married again after her divorce from her doctor ex-husband Michael Kurer in 2000. 

It comes after it emerged Vanessa allegedly learned her ex-fiancé was cheating on her on Christmas Day when his lover trolled her daughter online.

Vanessa’s daughter Allegra Kurer told how the family was devastated to learn of Ben’s alleged behaviour.

Old times: Vanessa’s first marriage to surgeon Dr. Michael Kurer ended in 2000 after he reportedly left her for another woman, 13-years after they exchanged vows (the former couple are pictured together in 1997)

Allegra, 37, and her younger sister Saskia, 34, received the awful messages over the festive period and knew they had to tell their mother.  

She said: ‘It was on Christmas Day, of all days. We were all together as a family, but Ben was away in pantomime, when the messages appeared via Instagram.

‘Until that moment we were having a really lovely time, the children were having a lovely time, so for us to just receive that via a social media account was the most dreadful shock.

‘It was anonymous, and of course it revealed lots that we didn’t know — but it was also very abusive and extremely hurtful,’ she told The Sun. 

Allegra said it was ‘horrible’ when the time came to tell Vanessa about the messages,

While Allegra noted the messages were anonymous, she said there was enough information to know the claims against Ben were true. 

Allegra added that she has contacted the police over the messages and hopes something can be done about it. 

She added that Ben, who Vanessa had been with for 16 years, has been such a close part of their family for so long that the breakup has been ‘devastating’ for all of them.

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