Rachel Stevens: 'I've dated since divorce – but I'm still grieving the end of my marriage'
In this week's episode of HELLO!'s Second Act podcast, pop star, TV personality, and author Rachel Stevens opens up about her ongoing grief following the end of her 12-year marriage. Despite dating since her divorce in 2022, Rachel admits she's still struggling to come to terms with being single for the first time in two decades. She shares, "For a long time, I put on a smile and became the person I thought I should be, but I got very lost along the way. I numbed myself because the feelings were just too much."
As a self-proclaimed "hopeless romantic," Rachel's pursuit of what she calls "movie star love" has been a challenging journey. She explains, "I went from being married to another long-term relationship [with Dancing on Ice star Brendyn Hatfield], and I don't know if I actually fully grieved the loss of my marriage."
Navigating a blended family is another challenge Rachel is facing. Her ex-husband remarried in February, and they are expecting a son together. Rachel reveals her mixed feelings about this new development, saying, "Some days you feel empowered. Other days, you just want to cry under the duvet and hide. It is sad, and we feel things for our kids as well."
Looking ahead to her 50th birthday, Rachel is taking up weight training and trying to be kinder to herself. She says, "You should celebrate every year. I like the power of being wise and emotionally more mature. I want to trust and believe in myself, but that's a work in progress. We've never arrived. You can just do your best every day."
Despite her efforts to heal and move forward, Rachel acknowledges that grieving the end of her marriage is an ongoing process. She concludes, "I didn't grieve the end of my marriage before starting my next relationship."
Listen to the Second Act podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, and YouTube.
