Singer Gareth Gates and Coronation Street actress Faye Brookes reveal they've split

The couple posted identical statements on social media

Published 17th Sep 2018

Singer Gareth Gates and Coronation Street actress Faye Brookes reveal they have ended their six-year relationship. Faye, who plays Kate Connor on the popular ITV soap, posted a message to her fans on Twitter explaining the reason for their separation. She wrote, 'Unfortunately @Gareth_Gates and I are choosing to take some time apart. We remain the very best of friends. We’d like to Thank you for all your support over the years x'.

Gareth Gates, who had a high-flying pop career in 2002-2003, posted an identical statement but with Faye's name in the place of his. The couple met in 2012 on the production of Legally Blonde and had recently given interviews talking about marriage, making news of their split shocking for their fans.

In an interview with OK! magazine back in 2015, Faye revealed she hadn't seen the appeal of Gareth Gates after his success on Pop Idol. She told the magazine, ‘When Pop Idol was on I was 15 and my best friend in high school had a huge poster of Gareth on her bedroom wall. Whenever I stayed at her house and I slept in that bed I’d be like, "I don’t get it!" I was so "whatever" about him.’ In the same interview Gareth revealed how he felt when he first met Faye. He said, 'I was quite scared of Faye, actually! She was this amazing leading lady so she was quite intimidating.'

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Singer Gareth Gates and Coronation Street actress Faye Brookes reveal they've split
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Gareth Gates first found fame on the 2001 series of Pop Idol, which he was expected to win. He instead came runner up to Will Young, but did go on to have four UK Number 1 singles and released four albums. Gareth took a five-year break from music but returned in 2007 with his album 'Pictures of the other side'. However the album only reached number 23 on the charts. More recently, Gareth, Dane Bowers (from Another Level), Kenzie (from Blazin' Squad), Adam Rickitt, and Kavana formed the group 5th Story for the ITV2 show The Big Reunion. They toured in 2014 which led to Sony Music releasing 'The Very Best of Gareth Gates' in March that year, however it failed to chart.

Faye Brookes and Gareth Gates are part of 'Fates Academy' where they teach children and teens performing arts. However Faye is best known for her role as Kate Connor in Coronation Street, on which she has starred since 2015. She has also starred in theatre productions of Grease, Shrek and Legally Blonde.

Gareth Gates and Faye Brookes aren't the only TV stars to reveal that they have split. Fans of Made In Chelsea today (Monday 17th September) found out that former stars Alexandra 'Binky' Felstead and Josh 'JP' Patterson have split. The pair also posted on social media about the reasons for their split. Read the full story here.