The ex-wife of Dr Ranj Singh has spoken candidly about their 'messy' divorce following the television doctor's decision to come out as gay. The former This Morning star, now 46, realised his sexuality at the age of 30 during therapy sessions while still living with his wife of seven years, Sulvinder Samra. He confided in her in 2009, and the couple eventually divorced in 2011.
On what would have marked their 20th wedding anniversary, Samra took to Instagram on Friday (29 May) to address the 'painful' end of their marriage. In an emotional post, she described how the split led her to believe she 'did not deserve happiness' and that she would not be a 'good mum'.
'I grew up being told that I must set a good example, get a good education, a good job, and an Indian husband,' she wrote. 'When it ended, both parties were hurting, and a divorce was the only option. I mourned. It was heavy because the future I thought I had was gone and the person that I thought I had married was gone as well.'
'I questioned everything. I felt extremely unattractive. I was ashamed. I believed I was not good enough,' she continued. 'On the outside, I was pretending. I looked fine but I felt dead inside because I'm not good enough.'
The turning point came three years ago, when Samra decided to 'face her fears' and 'took a leap of faith' by quitting her job. She also recalled how her sister's cancer diagnosis shifted her priorities, as she witnessed 'true bravery'.
'Don't let the past dictate your future,' Samra urged her followers. 'You get to choose what your story is going to be… no one else.'
Samra and Dr Ranj Singh first met in 2003 and married in a traditional Sikh ceremony in 2006. Earlier this week, the TV medic opened up about his coming out in an interview with The Big Issue, saying: 'I had the career I'd always wanted, I always wanted a home of my own. I'd ticked all my boxes. So the big question was, why am I still not 100 per cent happy? Why does it still feel like something's not right? And that's when therapy brought all of that stuff out.'
In 2018, Singh appeared as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, where he lobbied to dance with a man, two years before the BBC show introduced same-sex couples. He ended up performing with Janette Manrara and was eliminated in the seventh week. He is now in a relationship with actor James Colebrook.
Earlier this year, Singh denied claims he had been sacked by Morning Live bosses, but said he was 'unable' to appear on the BBC series. He has been the show's resident medic since 2020, but after a six-month absence, speculation arose about behind-the-scenes issues.
