Phil Vickery is seen kissing ex-wife Fern Britton’s best pal

Phil Vickery, Fern Britton’s ex-husband, kissed her best friend on the street in new photos taken on Wednesday as they left a posh London hotel.

The TV chef, 61, was pictured passionately kissing Lorraine Stanton, 58, who has been close friends with presenter Fern for years, in photos obtained by The sun.

According to the publication, the new couple had a date and were seen leaving the hotel with an overnight bag in their hands.

A friend close to Fern told The Sun: “They look like teenagers in love and that will be so painful for Fern. Behaving like that in public feels like betrayal.’

Close: Lorraine pictured with Phil in a social media throwback image – the pair have known each other for years

Phil and Lorraine couldn’t keep their hands off each other as they reportedly stopped twice in the street to share a kiss.

Lorraine, who works in the hospitality industry, has been friends with Fern, 65, for years and they have documented their friendship on Instagram.

Fern and Phil split in 2020 after 20 years together and Phil’s new public love comes weeks after the TV star revealed she was struggling with her marriage.

An insider said: ‘Kissing Phil and Lorraine in the street will be heartbreaking for poor Fern. They look like teenagers in love and that will be so painful for her.’

“They’re two of the most important people in her life and when they act like that in public, it feels like betrayal.”

Phil was last seen on TV Tuesday morning serving a sausage platter during a This Morning segment with Take That’s Mark Owen.

The news station reported that Phil stayed in a flat after filming and was seen walking through the capital the next morning with Lorraine.

Just two months ago, in July, Fern spoke in a new interview with Fine Magazine.

New love interest: The TV chef, 61, was pictured passionately kissing Lorraine Stanton (pictured), 58, who has been close friends with presenter Fern for years, in photos obtained by The Sun

Fern said she “don’t want to be the billboard for being apart,” explaining that many couples feel their relationship is coming to a natural end.

Reflecting on her difficult but friendly breakup, she said, “This new chapter comes at the right time for me. However, I don’t want to be the billboard for divorce because a lot of people are going through the same thing.

“Often the kids go out of the house and you look at each other and say, ‘Ah, where do we go from here?’ I only wish I was the kind of person who could have kept that up, but I couldn’t,” she explained.

The couple share a daughter, Winnie, 20, while Fern is the mother of twins Jack and Harry, and daughter Grace, who she shares with ex-husband Clive Jones.

Divorced: After the couple called the time about their 20th wedding anniversary in 2020, she has also said: ‘I don’t want to be the poster girl for divorce’ (pictured together in 2007)

She and Phil ended their long-standing marriage after realizing it was “running its course” – living alone when their offspring flew out of the nest.

Fern has previously explained how difficult it is to ‘come back’ from a divorce, saying in March that the ‘recovery is difficult’.

And it looks like she’s still staying away from dating for now, explaining how important her own space is.

The TV personality told Prima, “I’m not currently considering dating. I didn’t see anyone and no one approached me, which is nice too.

“If someone came along who was nice and kind and we didn’t have to live together – if he had his life and I had mine – that would be perfect.

In conclusion: ‘But on the other hand, life is damn perfect now and I’m happy with my company, so meeting someone would just be the icing on the cake.’

Fern announced her split from Phil in January 2020, with the pair both tweeting in matching statements: “After more than 20 happy years together, [we] decided to go our own way. We will always share a great friendship and our lovely children.

“We would appreciate it if our privacy is respected at this time. Thank you for your continued kindness and support. [sic]’

Struggle: Fern has previously explained how hard it is to ‘come back’ from a divorce, telling in March that the ‘recovery is difficult’