Dr Ranj Singh‘s ex-wife has broken her silence on their ‘messy and painful’ divorce.
Sulvinder Samra had been married to Dr Ranj for seven years when her world was shattered by the revelation that her husband was gay and wanted to leave their marriage so he could pursue relationships with men.
This week, Dr Ranj reflected on their split, saying his life ‘fell apart’ when their marriage ended in 2011 but that he took solace in finding his ‘chosen family’ within the LGBT community.
Now Sulvinder has shared her side of the story, revealing it took years for her to heal from her husband’s betrayal and that she battled feeling ‘unattractive, ashamed, and not good enough’.
In a heartbreaking Instagram post on Thursday, Sulvinder – who now works as a nervous system coach for women – shared a montage of throwback snaps as she marked what would have been her 20th wedding anniversary.
She shared: ‘I thought my life would go as planned… Work hard. Get a degree. Get a job. Find a partner. Get married. Have kids. Instead I had a messy and painful divorce.’
Dr Ranj Singh’s ex-wife has revealed she felt ‘unattractive, ashamed and dead inside’ when the Strictly star came out as gay and ended their seven-year marriage
Sulvinder Samra had been married to Dr Ranj for seven years when her world was shattered by the revelation that her husband was gay and wanted to leave their marriage
Sulvinder revealed that she ‘carried the beliefs from a failed marriage’ and therefore entered into unhealthy relationships.
‘I could not trust anyone. I did not trust myself,’ she recalled. ‘I believed I wouldn’t be a good mum, I’m not good at relationships, I did not deserve any happiness.’
As a result of not finding a partner, Sulvinder also gave her up her dream of motherhood, noting: ‘I accepted that I would only be an aunt. That having children was not my future’.
Yet 12 years after their divorce Sulvinder realised she needed to turn her life around and ‘took a leap of faith’ by quitting her job as a pharmacist.
She then retrained as a nervous system coach – a wellness professional who helps clients regulate their autonomic nervous system to reduce chronic stress, heal trauma, and build resilience.
Having ‘taken back her power’, Sulvinder began to build her life back up, only to then be rocked by the devastating news that her sister had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
‘She became my priority, Sulvinder explained. ‘And I witnessed true bravery. Love shows up in different forms. Family is my everything.’
Sulvinder concluded: ‘So don’t let the past dictate your future. Everyday is a choice. YOU get to choose what your story is going to be… no one else.’
Now Sulvinder has shared her side of the story, revealing it took years for her to heal from her husband’s betrayal and that she battled feeling ‘unattractive, ashamed, and not good enough’
Sulvinder revealed that she ‘carried the beliefs from a failed marriage’ and therefore entered into unhealthy relationships
She captioned her post: ‘I grew up being told that I must set a good example, get a good education, a good job, and an Indian husband.
‘It was a strict upbringing and the responsibility felt heavy. I saw university as an escape route.
‘After some rebellion, I graduated, got a job as a Pharmacist, met my future husband and started married life.
‘Married life was not easy and then the cracks started to show. What I will say is there is not a lonelier feeling than feeling alone in a marriage.
‘When it ended, both parties were hurting, and a divorce was the only option. I mourned. It was heavy because the future I thought I had was gone and the person that I thought I had married was gone as well.
‘I questioned everything. I felt extremely unattractive. I was ashamed. I believed I was not good enough.
‘I no longer felt at home in London and yet I had spent my whole life trying to escape my roots. So I went back home as home felt safe.
‘So I did what I knew best. Worked hard. Pleased others. Took pleasure in the pat on the head. But then the resentment grew. I always missed the burnout signs until they were too late.
Then I turned 45. I thought “Is this it? Is this what my life is going to be?”
I had no balance. It was all work. I was miserable. It was eating away at me.
‘I desperately wanted change but I didn’t know how. So at first it started with the outside. How I looked.
‘Once I started to change, my external world did too. Work was the same and no longer the right fit so I quit. Just like that.
‘I created a business. Set my work hours around my life instead of the other way round. I could be more present.
‘Working on my feelings and dissolving old beliefs is really where the big shifts have happened. I now know that I am more than enough. We all are. #drranj #vulnerable #divorce #womenwhorise.’
Yet 12 years after their divorce Sulvinder realised she needed to turn her life around and ‘took a leap of faith’ by quitting her job as a pharmacist
Having ‘taken back her power’, Sulvinder began to build her life back up, only to then be rocked by the devastating news that her sister had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer
Sulvinder’s post came after Dr Ranj reflected on the end of their marriage this week.
The TV doctor, a household name through regular appearances on daytime shows This Morning and Morning Live, thought he had everything after exchanging vows with Sulvinder in 2005.
A traditional Sikh ceremony, the wedding coincided with Ranj’s burgeoning career as an NHS clinician, specialising in paediatric emergency medicine.
But it took therapy for Dr Ranj, 46, to realise he wasn’t ‘the person I thought I should be or thought I was going to be’ – despite the prosperous life he had built for himself.
‘I had the career I’d always wanted, I always wanted a home of my own,’ he told the Big Issue. ‘I’d ticked all my boxes. So the big question was, why am I still not 100 per cent happy?
‘Why does it still feel like something’s not right? And that’s when therapy brought all of that stuff out.’
Born and raised in a Sikh household, Dr Ranj said it felt like everything was ‘fracturing and then falling apart’ before coming out to his wife in 2009.
He added: ‘I was married and obviously that relationship broke down and then it was dealing with everybody else, friends and family.
‘This perfect life that you’ve imagined and hoped for and dreamt of and worked towards isn’t your perfect life.’
Fortunately, he was offered support and encouragement from his brothers, describing his unburdening to them as ‘a beautiful moment’.
In 2018, Sulvinder’s father Jemera Samra broke the family’s silence after seeing his former son-in-law appearing as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing made them realise they still haven’t got over what happened
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Jemera said: ‘A lot of years have passed but whenever I see him on television I either turn it off, switch channels or just walk out of the room. He still brings back a lot of painful memories for me.
‘The marriage and why they divorced had a devastating impact on us all. We never expected anything like this would happen and if I’m being honest, it’s something that is still a little difficult for me. I have obviously accepted it but it’s still hard.’
The TV doctor is now involved in a relationship with actor James Colebrook after finding his ‘chosen family’ within the LGBTQ community (pictured in January)
Sulvinder met the clinician after he qualified as a doctor at Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ School of Medicine in 2003 and they dated for a year before he popped the question.
The couple married in 2005 in a traditional Sikh ceremony, followed by a Western registry and a big reception in the evening.
Their wedding certificate states the venue as Colwich Hall Hotel, the magnificent Georgian pile and ancestral home of Lord Byron, set in 60 acres of parkland, on the outskirts of Nottingham.
The couple moved to London and set up home in a £500,000 flat in East Dulwich, south-east London.
But the relationship disintegrated as Dr Ranj slowly came to terms with his sexuality and Sulvinder moved back to Nottinghamshire. They divorced in 2011.
The TV doctor is now involved in a relationship with actor James Colebrook, confirming their relationship on Instagram in 2025 after finding his ‘chosen family’ within the LGBTQ community.
‘It was a feeling akin to my wings finally unfolding and then taking off,’ he told the Big Issue of finding acceptance within the gay community.
‘Yes, I know how cheesy that sounds, but there’s no other way to describe it. I got to discover and celebrate my identity, find my tribe and chosen family in the LGBT+ community, and actually fulfil my passions.’
