Ruby Wax has opened up about keeping the spark alive in her 38-year marriage to Ed Bye and their unorthodox ‘commune-style’ living arrangements.
The comedian, 73, has been married to film producer Ed, 71, since 1988 and the couple share children, Max, 37, Maddy, 35, and Marina, 32.
Ruby previously raised eyebrows when she revealed she spent the first Covid lockdown alone in a one-room lodge in the countryside, away from her husband and their London home.
Yet she has now doubled down on her stance, explaining that distance has made their marriage stronger and that her advice to other married couples would be to ‘stay away as much as you can’ from your spouse.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail, Ruby mused: ‘Don’t see them and just train them to let you do whatever you want.
‘So we’re not like a husband and wife, in that sense. My friends aren’t his friends.’
Ruby Wax has revealed the unorthodox secret to keeping the spark alive in her 38-year marriage to Ed Bye – and their ‘commune-style’ living arrangements (pictured in 1996)
Ruby continued: ‘We’re going on a cruise together, because I’m speaking professionally on a cruise, so that’ll be interesting. But usually, he’s interested in what I’m doing.
‘We have the same sense of humor, but I don’t see him a lot. It really works.’
While Ruby may not spend a lot of time with her husband, she’s never alone, because she revealed she always has friends staying at their home.
‘I have a lot of people living here,’ she explained. ‘I like the commune effect.
‘It’s pretty good. We have a ballerina, a burlesque star, a dancer, a, director… we have different people here. It’s great. I’ve said “come and stay here” and they just never left!’
Such is Ruby’s open-door policy that she’s now inviting strangers into her home for day retreats where she hosts guided group sessions and up-close Q&A time.
Ruby will also be lending her skills to The Big Retreat Cambridgeshire, an adult-only feel-good festival where wellbeing, adventure, live music and food come together for the weekend.
The broadcaster will be taking to the stage for a talk about her life and career and her mental health.
Ruby, who has a master’s degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, has been open about her struggles with bipolar disorder and depression and is a vocal mental health advocate.
Ruby, who has a master’s degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, has been open about her struggles with bipolar disorder and depression and is a mental health advocate
Ruby is lending her skills to The Big Retreat Cambridgeshire, an adult-only feel-good festival where wellbeing, adventure, live music and food come together for the weekend
She has spoken many times at the festival, and shared: ‘It’s great. There’s yoga tents, there’s different kind of recipe tents, there’s activities going on that are sensational.
‘And then there’s me! I think people are interested in the fact that I do retreats, and that I’ve taken what I learned at Oxford and put it into practice.’
Ruby has no qualms about being vulnerable on stage either, as she mused: ‘If I open my mouth, they’ll open their mouth. It’s like if I strip off, they’ll strip off.
‘So I think by being really direct they get the idea that there’s no shame in anything.’
Ruby also explained how she deals with her mental health while juggling a career that is often unpredictable and ever-changing.
‘Sometimes I can’t deal with it,’ Ruby mused. ‘So I have RTMS (Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, a treatment that sends brief magnetic waves to specific areas of the brain) and I’m on antidepressants.
‘I do find it a struggle, but my happy place is in front of people. It’s ironic, I don’t like being alone at home, but put me in front of a thousand people, and I’m at home.’
The Big Retreat Cambridge is being held in the parklands of Abbot’s Ripton Estate and takes place this weekend, September 11-13.
Part music festival, part wellbeing escape and part foodie weekend, guests can dip into hundreds of experiences including yoga, Pilates, wild swimming, breathwork, meditation, creative workshops and cookery demonstrations, alongside a packed programme of talks and live music.
Weekend tickets start from £269, with day tickets from £79 but the Daily Mail readers can get a 20 per cent discount using the code MAIL20.
Visit www.bigretreatcambridgeshire.com for more information and tickets.
