Martin Clunes' brutal parting words to first wife Lucy Aston before divorce

GMB: Martin Clunes suffers embarrassing wardrobe malfunction

Martin Clunes' former spouse has opened up about the moment the duo knew their marriage had crumbled after an intense quarrel in a restaurant.

The star of Men Behaving Badly and Doc Martin, Clunes wed Lucy Aston in 1990. However, their union came to a sudden halt just three years on, following a cutting comment amid a heated clash.

Initially, the couple enjoyed a year of marital bliss, but as Martin's stardom ascended and Lucy remained in her role at a health shop, strains appeared.

They began their relationship both keen partygoers, yet when she redirected her energy towards training as a crisis counsellor, the dynamic changed and conflict ensued. Lucy claims Martin derided her as "dull and boring" when she traded nightlife for study sessions.

The last straw came after he went to a soiree solo, later excusing that he had "forgotten" to extend her an invite. The next evening saw the escalation of disputes at their preferred Chinese eatery, where Martin allegedly rebuked his then-wife with the words: "You are an embarrassment."

Martin Clunes married his first wife Lucy in 1990 (Image: Daily Mirror)

Following the heated exchange, Lucy finally acknowledged that their marriage was irreparable after just three years. In April 1997, she confessed to The Mirror: "He told me I was boring and different and I just thought: 'No more.' I stood up and said 'thanks for dinner - this is the end' and stormed out. I sat in the car shaking with rage. "Later I went back and Martin was sitting there, surrounded by take- away cartons filled with our meal.

He just looked at me. I took off my gold wedding ring, slammed it on the table and walked out.

"We both knew it was over. I was furious when I found out he had gone to a party without telling me. Worse than that, he had said he was going out with just a couple of male actor friends. He tried to make out he had told me, but the truth is he just didn't want me there. The sad thing is I had become an embarrassment to him."

Lucy took a solitary drive and upon returning to their North London flat, she realised the relationship was beyond repair. They discussed their future, agreeing it was best to separate but promising to remain friends.

Martin moved on with Philippa Braithwaite (Image: Getty)

"We just looked at each other and said 'Bye, then'," Lucy recounted.

Post-breakup, Lucy travelled to America for 10 weeks and by her return, Martin was dating his current wife, TV producer Philippa Braithwaite. "It was a bombshell when he told me he was with Philippa," Lucy admitted.

Martin and Lucy ended their marriage in 1997, and he wed Philippa the same year while Lucy was expecting and in a new relationship. Martin once commented on the dissolution of his first marriage, saying: "We had a problem enjoying each other but now I can enjoy Lucy again. We are friends and can appreciate each other."

Martin described his first marriage as 'rotten' (Image: Getty)

Yet, in a September 2008 interview with the Mail's Weekend magazine, Martin described their union as "rotten". He revealed: "I don't know if I was searching for anything. Maybe I was. I kind of found it without looking. When I met Philippa I was coming out of a rotten marriage, and was very resistant to the idea of getting involved again."

Lucy did not take kindly to these remarks, responding to the Mail with: "I want Martin to stop telling everyone what a failure it was and what an awful time he had. In truth, I was the one who had a terrible time. I'll always love Martin, but he needs to take responsibility for the collapse of our marriage instead of constantly dismissing it so scathingly in public."

Martin and Philippa celebrated their nuptials in 1997 with an intimate ceremony followed by a reception at The Savoy hotel in London. They welcomed their daughter Emily in 1998 and have since moved from London to enjoy a more tranquil life on their farm in Dorset.