Rhian Sugden has spoken out about the intense public backlash she faced, including vandalism and harassment, at the time a sexting scandal involving television presenter Vernon Kay came to light. Sugden, 39, described being "spat at in the face" and having her "car windscreen smashed" during that period, stating she was "scared to go out at one point."
The scandal initially surfaced in 2010 when Vernon Kay, 52, was forced to issue a public apology to his then-wife Tess Daly on BBC Radio 1 for sending "saucy messages" to Sugden. Fresh allegations of Kay being back in contact with Sugden emerged in 2016.
The sexting scandal resurfaced again in May when Vernon Kay and Tess Daly, 57, announced their separation after 23 years of marriage. Sugden stated that she has been "painted as a villain" and that the ongoing association with the scandal has haunted her career. She expressed a hope that her forties would bring a new chapter where these stories could be put to rest, adding that she has been perceived as "the other woman."
Sugden told Closer magazine that she felt it was "not fair" on Kay's ex-wife or their children and that the backlash has been difficult to cope with mentally. In 2020, she claimed the scandal had ruined her career, lamenting that Kay "got away with it" after his on-air apology. She recounted that it still "made her feel sick" that he returned to his presenting duties, including a show ironically titled "Family Fortunes," and that she wished she had never met him.
During the initial public fallout, Vernon Kay promised live on air that he would cease contact with Sugden and four other women he had been messaging. Kay has consistently maintained that the messages were merely "flirty banter" and that he never acted inappropriately. Sugden previously discussed the scandal in a Channel 4 documentary, "Page Three: The Naked Truth."
Vernon Kay and Tess Daly announced their decision to split amicably, emphasizing their commitment to co-parenting their daughters, Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 17. Sugden is now married to Oliver Mellor and they have a son named George.