Louise Redknapp reveals tough time after split from ex husband Jamie insisting she was ‘painted as the villain’

LOUISE Redknapp has opened up about the tough time she faced after splitting from footie star Jamie – insisting she was unfairly “painted as the villain.”;

The former Eternal singer, 50, admitted she struggled in the spotlight following their 2017 divorce.

Louise said: “I was the villain. I’d been lucky in my career because for many years I didn’t really have a lot of scrutiny.

“Then bang, everybody’s got an opinion.”;

Speaking to The Independent, she added: “Nothing I said was right.

“To defend myself was wrong. To not defend myself was wrong.

“I felt like I was walking up a one-way street with just nowhere to go.”;

FOCUSED ON MUSIC

Despite years in the limelight, Louise insists she has never chased fame.

The Naked singer said: “I’m not looking for a fight. I’m not looking for headlines.

“I actually don’t look for fame at all. I just really love music.”;

Louise, who was married to ex-England ace Jamie for 19 years, also reflected on how her career was often overshadowed by her looks and love life.

She admitted: “Whether it was being married to Jamie or the FHM [magazine] days, there’s always been another layer that people have been more interested in.

“And I get it – some of my music probably wasn’t strong enough to cut through that.”;

Now, with her fifth album Confessions dropping in May, Louise is ready to remind fans of what she does best.

She said: “I still have people say to me, ‘I didn’t realise you could sing like that’, and it’s like ... I’m on my fifth album!”;

Jamie has since tied the knot with his partner Frida. They got married just weeks before their baby was due in 2021.

Louise went publc with boyfriend Drew Michael in 2023.

Former Strictly star Louise found fame in the 90s girl group Eternal.

In 1995, she left the group and launched her own solo career and achieved pop success with singles including Naked and Let's Go Round Again.

Last week, she toldFearne Cottonthat she left Eternal after struggling with “being propelled into another world” at such a young age.

She said on the Happy Place podcast: “The impact of such a normal human being, being propelled into completely another world takes its toll mentally.

“But I also think there's such an element of gratefulness that you can't even begin to allow yourself to admit that maybe you're struggling.

“You feel so ungrateful. There's kids out there that would love this opportunity and I'm sitting here homesick, or sitting here wishing I was back at home doing normal things.

“You keep a lid on those emotions. I definitely did for a long time.”