They were once thought of as one of the strongest marriages in showbiz, but it wasn’t to be for Ruth Jones and David Peet. The Gavin & Stacey star revealed that the couple’s 26-year marriage is over and that the TV producer has moved on with a lookalike of his famous ex-wife.
‘We amicably went our separate ways 18 months ago and are now legally separated. We remain good friends,’ they said in a joint statement. ‘Since our separation, Ruth is living in London and David is living in Canada, where he is in a new relationship.’
Here’s what we know about David…
Who is David Peet?
David Peet is a TV producer and Ruth Jones’ ex-husband.
How old is David Peet?
David is 71.
Do Ruth Jones and David Peet have children together?
Ruth and David don’t have any children together. However, David has three adult children from an earlier marriage – Louise, Alex and Fiona.
Ruth is a proud stepmum to David’s children. ‘It just didn’t happen. It wasn’t a decision. I don’t have a burning desire to have babies. I think it’s heartbreaking if you do and you find out you can’t have them. I love being a stepmum – all the joy of motherhood without the pain of childbirth,’ she said.
How did Ruth Jones and David Peet meet?
Ruth and David met while they were both filming the pilot episode of a BBC comedy in the early 1990s. The pair chatted on the phone before they met in person, where he immediately won her over. ‘It was love at first voice because I spoke to him on the phone before I met him,’ she recalled. ‘He has a very sharp mind combined with a dry Yorkshire wit, making him a naturally funny man.’
They started a romance while he was still married. ‘Affairs cause a lot of pain; they’re not something one aspires to do. You don’t aspire to cause pain to people in their life,’ she said.
Who is David Peet’s new girlfriend?
David is now living in Canada and dating Jayne Charity Cook, who looks very much like Ruth.
What does David Peet do?
David, who shared Tidy Productions production company with Ruth, is a TV producer who has worked on his ex’s shows, including Gavin & Stacey, Stella, The Great Outdoors and telly film A Child’s Christmases In Wales. He also served as an executive producer and writer for Gavin & Stacey. He has also been behind Ruth’s TV specials – Ruth Jones’ Christmas Cracker in 2010 and Ruth Jones’ Easter Treat and Ruth Jones’ Summer Holiday in 2011.
Shereen Low is a senior news and entertainment writer for Grazia UK, who has covered some of the biggest showbiz news from the past decade.