'I was scared stiff to be alone': Vanessa Feltz's sad reason for staying in 'ghastly' relationship

Vanessa Feltz’s latest confession about staying in a relationship she knew wasn’t working out of fears of being alone is heart-breaking but, for many, all too relatable.

The TV broadcaster has candidly opened up on being "scared stiff to be alone" and, after already going through one bad divorce, couldn’t face going through another split.

Vanessa eventually ended her 16-year-long relationship to Ben Ofoedu in 2023, after allegations of him being unfaithful. But she admits now that she probably stayed in the "ghastly" relationship for too long after convincing herself it was "'better the devil you know'".

In a new interview, she shared, "I was scared stiff to be alone, that's the truth.

"I didn't want to end the relationship, even though I knew it was ghastly, because I was scared to be on my own, because I'd had a horrible divorce, and I didn't want to get back to that again."

Before her 16-year-relationship with Phats and Small singer Ben, Vanessa had been married to surgeon Michael Kurer for 17 years. Vanessa and Michael share two children from the marriage, daughters Allegra and Saskia.

Opening up more about why she stayed, she added, "And the more years you invest, the less you want it to end because you think, after all these years, 'Better the devil you know,' and now I'm living what I didn't want."

Vanessa’s candour comes in a new interview with Bella, where she also shared updates about her dating life and how the scene has left her "demoralised".

"I'm still trying", she shared, about her current dating situation, "But there's nothing much to report. I wish there was. It's hard. I would like to be introduced by a friend, but when it doesn't work, it is hard not to feel demoralised and unattractive."

Adding that she’s given up on the apps, she also said, "I have been at home a maximum of three times. I have gone out because I didn't like the idea of sitting there looking at the wall on my own, until the next day, when I go to work. It feels lonely and terribly boring."

While Vanessa might not be having the best luck in her love life, the star’s career continues to prove fruitful.

After hosting her own BBC Radio 2 show for over ten years, she returned to TV in 2025, fronting her own eponymous lunchtime chat show on Channel 5.