In this week's episode of HELLO!'s Second Act podcast, pop star, TV personality and author Rachel Stevens opens up about still "grieving" the end of her 12-year marriage and explains how she is 'rebuilding' her life. Having split from her husband in 2022, Rachel tells host Ateh Jewel that she is coming to terms with being single for the first time in 20 years, starting again in her Second Act, sharing: "For a long time I put a smile on and turned up and became the person that I thought I should be and got very lost along the way. I numbed myself because the feelings were just too much."
Rachel admits she is a "hopeless romantic" but says her pursuit of what she calls "movie star love" has been a "painful" journey. "I went from being married into another long relationship [with Dancing on Ice star Brendyn Hatfield], and I don't know if I actually fully grieved the loss of my marriage," the 47-year-old told Ateh.
Navigating a blended family
Sharing that she has struggled with 'mummy guilt' over the impact her marriage breakdown has had on her children, Rachel shared how she is taking a different approach to managing her blended family. Her ex-husband remarried in February and they are expecting a son together, with Rachel opening up about her feelings: "Some days you feel empowered. Other days, you just want to cry under the duvet and hide. It is sad and obviously, we feel things ourselves, but we feel them for our kids as well."
Looking ahead
Looking ahead to turning 50 in a few years, Rachel is taking up weight training and trying to be kinder to herself. "You should celebrate every year," she says. "I like the power of being wise and emotionally more mature. [Going forward] I want to trust and believe in myself. But that's work in progress; we've never arrived. You can just do your best every day."
Listen to the Second Act podcast now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts and YouTube.
