Ben Foden has praised his ex-wife Una Healy.
Ben Foden praises Una Healy
The 36-year-old rugby player shares children Tadgh and Aoife with ex-wife Una and says it is thanks to her that their children have turned out so "loving and gentle".
He told The Daily Mirror newspaper: "I always doff my hat to Una. She’s raised the kids for the last couple of years on her own, and they’re great kids, very loving and gentle, and intelligent too – and they definitely don’t get that from me.
"I’d like them to get into music and acting. They did an advert with Una for McDonald’s and were great in it."
Ben tied the knot with his second wife Jackie Smith Foden in 2019 just two weeks after they met and they welcomed their daughter Farrah the following year.
He said: "Jackie is just obsessed with Farrah, she’s changed her whole perspective on life. And she’s a brilliant stepmum to the other two. She’s very loving and generous.
“It makes me love her even more that she is such a fantastic mother.”
Meanwhile, Ben is competing in the upcoming season of 'Dancing On Ice', with professional partner Robin Johnstone, and he believes his rugby career has prepared him for ice skating.
He said: “In rugby you get hit, you fall down, you get smashed and no one really cares or bats an eyelid.
“But in this, as soon as you fall over, everyone rushes around going, ‘Are you all right?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, don’t worry’. I suppose I’m made of tougher stuff. You really do get a newfound respect for it when you start doing it properly though, just because the little movements that look very easy on TV are actually quite hard.
“If you do it well, that feeling leads to euphoria, which is the feeling we’re all chasing. I’ve jumped out of planes and bungee-jumped… most extreme sports appeal to me.
“I’m obviously bigger and stronger, and I’ve got a more stable body for lifts. So Robin and I are definitely going to be doing a lot of lifts.”