Denise Lewis reveals end of her 17-year marriage after quiet two-year separation

Dame Denise Lewis and her husband, Steve Finan, have announced the end of their 17-year marriage, after quietly separating two years ago.

Denise, 53, who won the gold medal in the heptathlon at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, posted the news via a statement made to her Instagram stories, according to LBC.

The former athlete wrote on November 4, "After much thought and consideration, Steve and I decided to separate two years ago as a couple."

"This decision was made with mutual respect and care for one another after many meaningful years together."

She continued, "We remain grateful for the time we shared and the wonderful children created."

The couple share three children, Ryan, Kane, and Troy, and Denise also has a daughter from a previous relationship with Belgian sprinter Patrick Stevens.

Denise continued her statement by saying, “We value the kindness and support from our family and friends over the last two years and our priority moving forward is maintaining a positive co-parenting relationship and focusing on the well-being of those we care about most."

She concluded by adding, "We appreciate your understanding for privacy during this time and as we move forward."

Steve Finan O'Connor, 60, once managed the girl group All Saints, and was the late Liam Payne’s manager for seven years.

Denise was the only British woman to win an athletics medal at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, and her performance improved over the ensuing years in the run-up to her gold medal victory in Sydney in 2000.

She was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011, and was working as a BBC athletics pundit - she stepped back from role after the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The former couple met in 2000 through mutual friends at the Brit Awards. Denise was with Patrick Stevens from the late 1990s until 2005, and according to The Mirror, she first met Steve while still with Patrick.

The publication reports Denise once said in 2006, "I was still with Patrick when I first met Steve, then we met again more recently and it was sort of love at second sight."

Denise is yet to comment on a reason for the couple's split.