Jon Richardson's ex-wife, Lucy Beaumont, has shared the painful reason their marriage broke down as the Channel 4 star revealed he was turning his back on stand-up comedy. Countdown fans were left in shock this week when its host announced that he was pursuing a completely different career path – as a teacher. The star, known for his dry sense of humour and sharp comedic timing has been a familiar face on circuit and television alike, but revealed he wanted to try something new.
Taking to Instagram with a surprise video post, the 42-year-old Celebrity Gogglebox alum gave followers the lowdown during a contemplative stroll: "I just thought I'd give you a little update. I don't really do social media updates, and I'll tell you why - because I don't think anyone cares. But I have a little bit of news. I've obviously been taking a little bit of a break from stand-up and it's really made me... want to carry on taking a break from stand-up."
Richardson then revealed a diary entry from his teenage years. He told the camera: "It's this one. I was 14 years old, it says although I would love to be a stand-up comedian, I'll probably end up being a teacher. And I've been thinking a lot about that." He added: "I've loved being a comedian, it was absolutely the right choice. But I've decided it would've been nice to try the other option, so that's exactly what I'm gonna do."
He went on to disclose his educational aspirations and current ventures, sharing: "I've been doing some training, I've taken a teaching position. I will update you as and when I can. but that's all from me for now, just to let you know where I've been. I'll keep you posted.", reports the Mirror. However, it's now been revealed that Jon was actually joking with fans. Waterloo Road, the long-running BBC drama about a school, confirmed he will be joining the cast as a teacher.
Jon's joke comes after it was revealed that he and his wife of almost 10 years Lucy Beaumont had split. Discussing the reason for their marriage ending, Lucy confessed that it was his inability to admit when he was wrong and his 'stubborn' nature that were the driving factors. Speaking to OK! Magazine, she said: "People might think I should talk about it because we were so public and everyone knew us as a couple, but I won't, and not because there's any animosity. We both agreed that while it might be weird for other people not hearing anything about it, we wouldn't talk about anything to do with the marriage or each other."
Lucy also shared her new approach to life now that she's in her forties: "I don't feel any different really, just a bit angrier and not willing to take any s**t from anyone." In an unearthed clip, Lucy admitted that she sometimes worried she 'made a mistake' marrying Jon due to his stubbornness. The resurfaced video shows Lucy expressing her concerns about her marriage on Jon's show Ultimate Worrier. When asked if she had any worries about her ex-husband, she responded: "I've got a lot. Sometimes I worry that I've made a mistake."
Lucy went on to explain how Jon's inability to admit when he's wrong or has made a mistake can be challenging in a marriage. "One thing I think that's really hard in a marriage is when the other person can't admit when they're wrong,' she continued. "Can't say sorry I've made a mistake."
The ex-couple seem to have resolved their divorce, with Jon providing Lucy a £1.625 million payout for her shares in a company where they both served as directors. The pair had amassed a substantial fortune of £6 million prior to the dissolution of their romantic and business relationship.
