Ricki-Lee Coulter reveals she never wanted to get married to her first husband at age 21 but felt pressured for one sad reason
Ricki-Lee Coulter has lifted the lid on her disastrous first marriage to Jamie Babbington.
The Australian Idol star, 38, married the Gold Coast builder in 2007 when she was 21 years old, but now admits she never wanted to walk down the aisle.
Ricki-Lee started dating Jamie when she was just 15 years old, and he was 23.
The marriage lasted just over a year, with the singer’s publicist issuing a statement at the time confirming that they had split due to “distance and time apart.”
Ricki-Lee discussed her failed first marriage on her Nova FM radio show on Monday, telling her co-hosts Tim Blackwell and Joel Creasey that she actually wanted to break up with Jamie before he proposed.
Ricki-Lee Coulter, 38, (pictured) has revealed she never wanted to marry her first husband Jamie Babbington (right) at the age of 21, but felt pressured after he died in front of his family while on holiday asked for marriage
“I got married really young, I got married when I was 21 and I was with this guy, but it just wasn’t a great relationship,” she lamented.
“I tried to think of ways to break up with him, but I just couldn’t quite figure it out in my head.”
Ricki-Lee then recalled the awkward moment Jamie proposed in front of his family.
Ricki-Lee discussed her failed first marriage on her Nova FM radio show on Monday, telling her co-hosts Tim Blackwell and Joel Creasey that she actually wanted to break up with Jamie before he proposed.
“I was young, I didn’t want to, you know, but then he asked me to marry him in front of his whole family while on holiday in New Zealand,” she said.
“And I was literally at that moment trying to figure out how to break up with him.”
In 2014, the Can’t Touch It hitmaker made headlines after she spoke about the “awkward” moment she realized her relationship with her teenage love was over.
In conversation with the Kyle and Jackie O Show, Ricki-Lee confessed that she secretly cried during one of their last intimate moments together in bed.
“It was like… I don’t really love you anymore and this is awkward. I was secretly crying.”
That same year, Ricki-Lee also admitted that her strong feelings about remaining childless may have partly led to the failure of her first marriage.
Ricki-Lee, whose difficult early childhood is behind her decision not to have children, further told Fitzy and Wippa Nova FM that she felt ‘pressure’ to have children with Jamie before they split.
“I was young, I didn’t want to, you know, but then he asked me to marry him in front of his whole family while on holiday in New Zealand,” she said
‘The hard part was that, stupidly, I got married when I was 21 and he really wanted them [kids]she revealed.
“And I felt pressure from him to want to have children, and that maybe I would change my feelings about it and the things I wanted to do in my life, to make him happy.
‘My ex wanted seven children, and I thought: ‘Come on girlfriend. No chance. Have fun finding someone who can have seven children with you!’
Ricki-Lee started dating her manager Richard Harrison in 2009, and the couple tied the knot in 2015.
Ricki-Lee started dating her manager Richard Harrison (right) in 2009, and the pair tied the knot in 2015.