Ben Ofoedu & Wife, Vanessa Feltz On How Their Weird Marriage Has Worked for 12 Years and Counting

Nigerian born British singer-songwriter, Ben Ofoedu, who is most famous for being the former lead singer of the duo, Phats & Small, has revealed the secret to his successful marriage to wife, Vanessa Feltz.

Ben met Vanessa through their mutual friend – Boyzone star, Keith Duffy. After spending time with Vanessa in the Big Brother house in 2001, Keith decided to introduce her to Ben.

Appearing on a British panel show, Loose Women, the actor, 45, revealed that the secret to his successful marriage is that he and his wife share separate bedrooms.

His wife also revealed she sleeps in a separate room from her man for five nights a week – but he has “visiting rights, anytime”.

Ben had no complaints about the sleeping arrangements. When panellist, Janet Street Porter suggested it was like a “sex prison”, he replied: “Yes. You can call it that- but it works.”

He beamed: “I have visiting rights – anytime. I think it’s kept it fresh and sexy.”

Speaking further, he said in their 12 years of marriage, he has never seen his wife without make-up, adding it’s another secret to their successful union.

“I wouldn’t know who she was without makeup,” he jokes, as the two of them appear on the show.

56-year-old Vanessa, a television and radio presenter who is just ten years older than her hubby, also confessed she has never let the Phats and Small frontman star see her without her make-up on.

Vanessa said she got the advice from her mother including not shaving your legs in front of your partner saying it keeps things “saucy” and “mysterious”, adding: “Don’t do intimate stuff on display.”

Vanessa argues that even if one wakes up with eyeliner messily smeared under the eyes in the morning, it is still better than a makeup-free face.

“When I was a teenager, my sister and I discussed this and I think smudged eyeliner the day after is better than no makeup whatsoever.”

The radio presenter describes her husband a “sensitive soul,” saying she believes that he might get a shock if he saw her without any makeup on.

“I think he’s a sensitive soul; he’s quite young and I think he’d have a shock,” she says of her 45-year-old husband.

Ben agrees and even confesses that Vanessa wore bright red lipstick while on a swimming date.

“I wouldn’t know who she was [without makeup];” before adding: “I didn’t notice until like two years in [that she always wore makeup], and then I was in a swimming pool and she was wearing bright red lipstick. I thought it was a bit weird,” he teases.

”Twelve years later it still works,” Ben notes.

Meanwhile things got heated when panellist Chizzy Akudolu asked Vanessa whether she farts in front of her partner Ben Ofoedu or leaves the room.

Vanessa said she’d “never even say the word.”

She added: “I would never do that sort of thing. I would never use that word. Certainly not on TV…I’m appalled. How rude!” To which Chizzy blew her a raspberry.

Vanessa was previously married to surgeon Michael Kurer for 17 years, until their divorce in 2000 – they have two daughters together, Allegra and Saskia.

Photo credit: LooseWomen