Rylan Clark has opened up about his divorce after his relationship came to an end in 2021(Image: @rylan/Instagram)

Rylan Clark issues heartbreaking 'failure' admission after split from Dan Neal

by · Derbyshire Live

Former X-Factor sensation Rylan Clark has candidly shared the tough times he endured following his divorce three years ago, confessing that he "felt like a failure."

Rising to fame after reaching the X Factor quarter-finals in 2012 against all odds, Rylan went on to gain further recognition through Celebrity Big Brother.

In one of his more recent TV successes, Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour gained immediate popularity upon its release in 2024. He was later visibly moved after the show won the 2025 British Academy Television Award for Best Factual Entertainment earlier this year.

Despite his continued career success — including regular stints co-presenting ITV’s This Morning and hosting BBC Radio 2’s Rylan on Saturday — it was on his podcast How to Be in Love where he opened up about his personal struggles post-divorce while chatting with guest Tasha Ghouri about her split from Andrew Le Page.

Rylan shot to fame after appearing on X-Factor(Image: Karwai Tang, WireImagevia Getty Images)

He particularly reminisced about the challenging aftermath of his separation from ex-husband Dan Neal in 2021 during the heartfelt exchange.

In a moment of reflection, Rylan disclosed the emotional turmoil he faced when their divorce became public knowledge: "When I went through my divorce, I had a full-on breakdown because it wasn't just us. It felt like it wasn't just us, even though it was just me and my ex. I felt that everyone's going to think this of me."

The pair first met in 2013(Image: Mark Robert Milan, FilmMagicvia Getty Images)

He confessed: "Everyone's going to think, 'Oh look, his life isn't perfect. Oh look, he's failed like that.' I just felt like a failure."

Despite expressing his feelings about the challenging breakup, he acknowledged that the separation was the "right thing to happen."

The couple's romance started unexpectedly in 2013, when Rylan met Dan on Big Brother's Bit on the Side, which Rylan hosted while Dan was a contestant on the main show.

Rylan and Dan's relationship came to an end in 2021 after almost six years together(Image: Kate Green, Getty Images)

After getting engaged the following year, they married in a grand ceremony at Braxted Park Estate in Essex. A number of famous faces — including Katie Price, Eamonn Holmes, Ruth Langsford, and Matt and Emma Willis — attended the celebrity-filled wedding.

However, their relationship ended after nearly six years together, with the separation announced in June 2021.