Gogglebox star admits 'I didn't see it coming' as he opens up on split from husband

Gogglebox's Daniel Lustig has spoken candidly about his "devastating" split from fellow TV personality Stephen Webb.

On the Suddenly Single podcast by Best, he confessed to perhaps excessively using dating apps following their gradual separation, which raised concerns among his friends. "For me, [the breakup] was traumatic and although I knew things weren't great, I didn't see it coming," shared Daniel.

He recounted a trip to South Africa to visit a friend, and upon returning, Stephen ended their relationship during a seaside walk in the rain: "We were going for a walk by the sea, and it was raining and he said 'I have to talk to you. We need to separate,' and it was awful ... it was very upsetting. Completely devastating."

The 49-year-old reflected on how they managed to maintain a level of decorum post-breakup, without any dramatic exits: "It was quite a slow process because we were completely entwined for so long, with our businesses, the dogs... We were so close in everything we did."

Daniel admitted that this breakup was more challenging than any previous ones, stating: "I have broken up with people in the past and I'm very good friends with them still, but it has it wasn't something as intense as this. This was a marriage," reports the Liverpool Echo.

As they put their shared Brighton apartment up for sale, the ex-couple moved into separate rooms when Stephen, aged 53, joined the cast of E4's Celebs Go Dating.

Daniel also dived into the world of online dating, registering on various apps. He shared, "Once I got over the shock, in the summer I was going on date after date, I was on apps all the time, and now I realise I was trying to fill a void. Friends took me aside to ask if I was OK."

He's since found a more balanced approach, noting: "Now I'm happy being single. I love going on dates but I don't need a long term relationship."

To avoid dating within his familiar circles in Brighton, Daniel has been looking further afield: "I put 60 miles away from Brighton, which gets me to London. Brighton's too small, I know lots of the people I would be dating."

He added with enthusiasm about the capital's prospects: "You get off the train in London and there are attractive men everywhere!"