Louise Redknapp reveals real extent of ‘claustrophobic’ Jamie marriage

"I felt like my life was shrinking"

Louise Redknapp claustrophobic marriage Jamie

by Nathan Katnoria |
Updated on

Louise Redknapp has admitted she felt so “claustrophobic” in her marriage to ex-husband Jamie that she didn’t listen to any music for five years as she resented giving up her career for their relationship.

The former couple - who share sons Charley, 16, and Beau, 12 - were married for 19 years before splitting in 2017 following her stint on Strictly Come Dancing. At the time, she said, “I became a sort of Stepford wife – I lost myself.”

After rising to fame in 90s girlband Eternal, Louise enjoyed success as a solo artist before settling down with footballer Jamie. She released her first album in two decades in 2020 following their divorce and confesses she still dreams about how her career could have been if she didn’t put it on pause.

Louise Redknapp claustrophobic marriage Jamie
©Getty

Speaking on Sheridan Smith’s BBC Sounds podcast Sheridan’s Showstoppers, Louise explained, “I sometimes think to myself if I hadn't had an 18 year gap I wonder how many records I could have maybe sold.

“In the early part of having kids and being married it was fine because you've worked loads and all of a sudden you want that normality, that bit of time at home. [It] felt lovely to breathe again, not be too worried about schedules and finishing records and just enjoy the children.

“It was only as time went on and they got bigger [that] my life felt like it was shrinking into this little box and everybody else's life was expanding.”

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She continued, “I felt claustrophobic and really scared that I'd lost doing what I loved.

“I really suffered with the lack of doing anything that I loved. I reckon I went through a stage where I don't think I listened to music for four or five years because it just gave me anxiety that I maybe would never sing or be on stage again. I just preferred to pretend it didn't exist."

Louise said that giving up her career made her feel “really unconfident” as she added, “I did really miss it towards the end.”

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Louise’s latest admission about her marriage comes after she revealed her regret at the way her relationship with Jamie ended.

In her book You’ve Got This, she admitted she “wouldn’t have walked away from my marriage” if she hadn’t appeared on Strictly back in 2016.

Louise said that she would have been “too scared” to leave Jamie if it wasn’t for Strictly giving her a “new path” and showing her she “could find work again”.

But despite her newfound success, she says her stint on the show caused the “heartbreak” of her divorce.

She wrote, “I still wish I'd done things differently because I feel like I hurt a lot of people and I'll always be sorry for that.”

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