Fans of Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont were in shock last week when the comedians announced they are divorcing after nine years of marriage.
Sharing identical statements on Instagram, the couple said they have “jointly and amicably made the difficult decision to divorce and go [their] separate ways”, adding, “Our only priority is managing this difficult transition for our daughter”.
Comedian Jon, 41, and stand-up comic Lucy, 40, got married in April 2015, two years after meeting.
In her book Drinking Custard: Diary Of A Confused Mum, Lucy recalled how she’d recently left Hull and moved to London to pursue a comedy career, when fellow comedian Roisin Conaty invited her to a gig in Kingston-upon-Thames. There, she introduced her to Jon and the pair “hit it off” straight away.
“I felt someone’s presence behind me. I nearly fainted. Honestly, my heart was beating like the clappers as I was sure Jon knew I fancied him,” Lucy penned. They started a family soon after tying the knot, welcoming Elsie Louise in September 2016.
News of their separation came a fortnight after the premiere of the fifth series of their mockumentary Meet The Richardsons, in which the comedic duo play exaggerated versions of themselves.
In an interview days before it aired, Lucy teased that it would “probably be the last” season and that they were “going out on a high”. She gave no implication of trouble in their marriage, adding of their on-screen dynamic, “Jon and I make a good team”.
But during an appearance together on 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown last year, host Jimmy Carr quizzed Lucy on married life with Jon, asking, “What made you decide to settle?” She jokingly responded, “I don’t see this for life,” adding, “Who knows what will happen in the future?”
As their separation hit the headlines, one fan lamented, “Gutted. I’m way sadder about this than people I’ve known in real life”.
