Beccy Dickson, 44, split up with husband Macey Mitchell at the end of 2021. The pair, who have three children, had been together for 21 years and married for eight. She explains why they get on so well despite no longer being a couple.
Olivia Devereux-Evans
“We split up while we were away in Portugal. It was literally decided over a coffee – he swapped rooms with my daughter that very day.
“We had gone on holiday as a family in December 2021, but with Omicron cases increasing in the UK and Portugal imposing a post-Christmas lockdown, we decided to stay put. We knew we could run our business abroad and the kids could access schoolwork online and we did some homeschooling with them.
“It was an amazing place, but just the two of us were stuck out there with three kids. It meant I had breathing space to realise it was time.
“Was the split caused by lockdown? Probably, but I think it would have happened anyway. I guess you could say we’ve ended up a little bit more like brother and sister.
“It had been a long time coming. There were a lot of tears before, during and after – there still are. It was the hardest decision I have ever made but it was the right one.
“In some ways being away from home made it easier – no pressures or other people to interfere and no one else involved. When we came back from abroad, he moved on to a house boat. That was about two-and-a-half years ago now. He’s here at th
