Birmingham-born singer and actress Jamelia has revealed that her second marriage ended suddenly while she was four months pregnant. The 45-year-old, who grew up in Handsworth and now lives in Dubai, spoke candidly about the split on the My Mate Bought a Toaster podcast.
The star, who rose to fame in the early 2000s with the hit single Superstar and later joined the cast of Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, said her husband told her he was leaving without warning. She described him as a 'deadbeat dad' who has no contact with their two daughters.
Sudden end to marriage
Jamelia said: "Literally. I was like, 'Oh, what's up with you?' He's like, 'Oh, I'm leaving.' I was like, 'Oh, okay.' Lovely guy. Like, what a husband. Sorry. I can laugh about it now. It's fine."
The couple married in 2017 and split in 2022. They share daughters True, eight, and Jream, three. Jamelia also has daughters Teja, 25, and Tiani, 20, from previous relationships.
Speaking about her ex's relationship with their children, she alleged: "He is basically a deadbeat dad, who has nothing to do with them, does not inquire about them, anything."
Hollyoaks exit explained
The breakdown of her marriage also influenced her decision to leave Hollyoaks, where she played doctor Sharon Bailey. She was offered the role while pregnant in 2022, joined the permanent cast the following year, and was later invited to stay for a further 12 months.
Despite saying she 'absolutely loved' the job, Jamelia turned down the second contract because she worried about the pressures of filming while caring for her children. She explained: "I hadn't really healed from what had happened to me - my husband leaving and our whole kind of life changing. I did get offered another year and I would have loved to have done it, but I just thought, 'You know what, this is where I'm going to crack'."
Move to Dubai
Jamelia relocated her family to Dubai in 2024, leaving Birmingham to start a new chapter. She cited safety, family support, and a fresh environment as key reasons for the move, and said the safety she experiences there has been especially significant as a single mum bringing up girls.
She added: "Contrary to popular belief, it's just such a beautiful place for women and girls. We're so well looked after. Also, as a single mother, it's just such a peaceful place. My daughters can go for a walk at like midnight if they wanted to and I wouldn't bat an eyelid."
Jamelia was previously married to former footballer Darren Byfield, 49, who is the father of her daughter Tiani. That marriage lasted 17 months, from June 2008 until November 2009.
