‘We’ve grown apart’ – hero cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan reveals her marriage has broken up

HERO cervical cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan has revealed her marriage has broken-up, but says she is still happily living with her husband.

The Kilkenny mother-of-two, who played a pivotal role in uncovering the CervicalCheck scandal last year, says she is still “great friends” with her husband Jim.

The Mooncoin woman said they decided to stay living together for the sake of their two children, Amelia (14) and Darragh (8). And she insisted they are still getting along and that neither are interested in other relationships.

“We’re still living together. We’re not Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin now, it’s not a conscious uncoupling,” she told the Irish Daily Mirror.

“We made a decision the kids have enough on their plate without their parents separating – but we’re no longer together as a couple.

“But we still live in the same house. We get on very well, we’re great friends. It’s better for the kids. I’ve had a lot of advice on this,” she added.

Vicky said it is often the case that when marriages come to an end, the husband is expected to be the one to move out. But she said her husband “has done nothing wrong” and it would be unfair to expect him to live away from his children.

She added: “If myself and Jim were not getting on and we were killing each other, obviously somebody would have to move out – but we get on fine.

“There was nobody else. Nobody had an affair. It’s just circumstances, we’ve grown apart.

“There was too much thrown at us throughout our married life really. The s**t hit the fan within six months of being married when my pregnancy went haywire and we’ve been battling stuff ever since and you can’t keep doing that. You just can’t.”

Vicky discovered she had cervical cancer in 2014. The following year she was given the all-clear. However last year, following an incorrect negative smear test, she was diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer.