Vanessa masks her broken heart

A source tells new that Vanessa Feltz is partying away her pain as the anniversary of her split from ex-fiancé Ben Ofoedu approaches

- Eve Macdonald

Christmas is supposed to be a time filled with love and laughter, but for Vanessa Feltz, this festive season is likely to bring back painful memories of past heartache.

It was on 25 december 2022 that Vanessa, 61, learned that her fiancé of 16 years, Ben Ofoedu, had cheated on her multiple times, sending her world into freefall.

Phats & Small singer Ben’s bed-hopping came to light when an anonymous lover sent Vanessa’s daughters, Allegra, 37, and Saskia, 34, “abusive and extremely hurtful” messages on social media, as they prepared to tuck into their family meal.

“It was on Christmas Day, of all days,” Allegra told The Sun earlier this year. “We were all together as a family, but Ben was away in pantomime when the messages appeared via Instagram.”

Vanessa said she felt “betrayed and panic stricken” by the revelations and now, as the anniversary of the split approaches, the star is reportedly bracing herself as she prepares to relive the hurt all over again.

“There’s no doubt that Vanessa is finding this time of year particularly difficult,” a source told new. “She feels haunted by the previous year. Christmas is a time filled with loved ones, but everything will be in the back of her mind as it’ll be her first one in 16 years without him.”

It’s no secret that Vanessa found the split, which she had to navigate so publicly, incredibly difficult.