TOWIE's Billi Mucklow was posting adorable photos with footballer Andy Carroll to social media just weeks before their unexpected break up. In a recently-shared photo, the reality TV star and ex-Newcastle striker are seen all dressed up against a stunning Italian backdrop, having attended the wedding of Newcastle goalie Mark Gillespie and interior designer wife Sally.
The image of Billi snuggled up to Andy, posted on June 21, is captioned: " Thank you @sallyreagillespie and @markjgillespie for the best few days celebrating your beautiful wedding in Italy! " She tagged it with @andytcarroll and a string of emoticons and emojis, from a blue heart to pizza and drinks.
Fans flocked to the post to praise the couple on their appearance - but they had no idea that just weeks later, the duo would start parting ways, with the news only coming out this weekend. Andy is splitting from Billi after two years of wedded bliss. Their rocky period is thought to have secretly concluded in July when the pair separated and they are now finalising their divorce, reports the Mirror.
Andy, whose once bright career has been marred by injury and personal problems off the field, recently signed with Bordeaux in France as he embraces life abroad, while Billi remains at their home in Essex.
In a heartfelt statement, the footballer shared: "Billi and I have privately separated earlier this year and we are underway with our divorce proceedings. It has been a hard few months for our family and we continue to move forward amicably for our children."
While a source spilled the beans to The Sun, revealing: "Andy and Billi care about each other a lot and have made some great memories together, but decided it was best for the family if they went their separate ways having grown apart. They're still focusing on the kids and being the best parents they can be and being respectful of each other."
An insider dished out that the former lovebirds are aiming for a "straightforward" divorce, noting how Andy, a father of five, is diving back into his football career post-split.
It's been over a year since Andy last posted a picture of his now-estranged wife on Instagram, sharing a sweet snapshot in August 2023 of Billi and the kids cheering from the stands at Madejski Stadium. He lovingly captioned it: "Just A Beautiful Family Watching The Beautiful Game."
The duo, who got engaged in 2014, exchanged vows in a lavish June 2022 wedding at the opulent Four Seasons Hotel in Hampshire. Their romance spanned 11 years, but they nearly didn't make it to the altar after Andy was snapped unconscious with two women during his stag do in Dubai.
After photos surfaced online showcasing Andy caught in a compromising position with several women, his fiancée, Billi, was quick to ditch her dazzling £200,000 engagement ring and pack her bags from their shared Essex abode. Despite the drama, Billi managed to find forgiveness for her footballer beau after one of the ladies involved, Taylor Jane Wilkey, confirmed that their encounter was wholly innocent claiming absolutely nothing untoward occurred and that Andy behaved like a true gent.
The bar manager at the centre of the scandal, Taylor Jane Wilkey, apologised for the snap that sparked chaos and strongly reaffirmed: "I'm sorry, Billi, I know how it looks, but we didn't have sex," as she opened up to The Sun about the nights events. She further clarified, insisting on Andy's chivalry: "She needs to know nothing sexual happened between me and Andy, I swear. He was a gentleman, he just had so much to drink and passed out on the bed. He didn't try anything - and even if he had wanted to, he was too drunk," Taylor confessed.
A close pal of Billi stated at the height of the uproar: "The wedding cemented their love and marks the start of a new beginning."
Amidst the frenzied fallout from Andy's stag do bombshell, the couple sealed their love with a wedding and swiftly jetted off to Mexico for a romantic honeymoon. While soaking up marital bliss, Billi celebrated their union with an Instagram Story share marking their one-week anniversary captioning, "We made it one whole week baby! ".
They are parents to a trio of young ones aged nine, six, and four, whilst Andy is also dad to two teens, 15 and 14, from a previous romance.
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