Professor Green broke down in tears as he reflected on his heartbreaking split from his ex Karima McAdams during Monday's episode of Celebs Go Dating. The rapper, 42, whose real name is Stephen Manderson, attended a feedback session with relationship experts Anna Williamson and Dr Tara Suwinyattichaiporn at the agency.
After discussing his recent date, Anna brought up his ex Karima, asking: 'Are you carrying a lot of emotion around your current ex?' The pair were together between 2019 and 2024.
Professor Green replied: 'Absolutely. I have a photograph in my head of what my son's family was going to look like. That was my family too. That's so tough. There are times I have been, "Can we just not f***ing sort it out?!"'
Anna then asked: 'Is it fair to say then, you're complex, emotionally?'
'Aw man, it will never not be,' he told her. 'Now that we're co-parenting, and people don't hear men talk about this, right?'
Fighting back tears, he continued: 'I never had a kid to not wake up to him. You know, my dad f*****g ran, you know? I'm not running. Far from it. And it's f****ing hard. It's so hard to put your feelings to the side and go "I'm going to prioritise the well-being of my kid." I can't show him how upset I am all the time. It's so important that he sees a good example, because you have to lead by example, and it's not easy. People have this assumption of men being f***ing feelingless. Why do you think more men kill themselves? It's because we don't know how to tend. We don't know how to tend.'
Anna told him: 'Honestly, you are an exemplary father. I know you struggle taking compliments, but you are an exemplary father. I see the work you have put in. I think it makes sense when you bring it into this place, into the dating world, it's another deeply vulnerable space. You're just not ready yet, Stephen. And that is okay. That doesn't mean any of this process is wasted. Far from it. I think it's so necessary for you to be here, to have this space and really recognise what your role in life is.'
'Absolutely, I am still fire fighting,' the rapper replied. 'I just don't want to spend my life surviving. I've done so much of that. I want to find a way to thrive.'
Anna assured him: 'You will. It takes time.'
Professor Green and Karima started dating in 2019 and welcomed their son Slimane Ray in March 2021. In October of that year, the former couple got engaged. In April 2024, it was revealed that the pair had gone their separate ways but continue to co-parent to this day. A source at the time told The Sun: 'Stephen and Karima broke up some months ago now and are trying to move on with their lives. They are both devoted parents to their little boy but as a couple, their relationship has run its course. Stephen is focusing on his music and building the best life he can for their son Slimane.'
This comes after Professor Green held back tears as he admitted he is still 'grieving' the loss of his relationship on a previous episode of the programme. He made the emotional confession to the show's professionals. While discussing finding love again, he said: 'Hands up, I'm being completely honest. I don't know if I'm even ready to date. There's going to be feelings of guilt around all of this. I am still grieving the loss of my relationship and not just for me. For our family and for our son. For those feelings of confusion that are impacting him, which feel a hell of a lot.'
It also follows Professor Green sharing an insight into the exchange he had with his ex-wife Millie Mackintosh after they made amends following their bitter split. The pair met in 2011 and tied the knot two years later, but split in 2016. The rapper and the former Made In Chelsea star, 36, are now on good terms and reconnected when she released her book Bad Drunk, about turning to sobriety. The former couple had also been told they have ADHD following their break-up and bonded over the fact they received diagnoses later in life. Sharing details of their exchange, he told The Sun: 'We [me and Millie] spoke when she was releasing a book about her being sober and we spoke around that because I was mentioned in the book and she just wanted me to know that it was coming out and it was a really respectful thing to do. It was very cordial, it was over email. We laughed a little bit going "you're ADHD… me too."' The former couple ended their three-year marriage in 2016, and Professor Green confirmed last year that they were back on speaking terms after nine years of silence.
