Rower Cracknell’s ex Beverley Turner says Olympic hero put his Boat Race aspirations before family

James Cracknell’s soon to be ex-wife Beverley Turner branded the Olympic hero’s advice to his children to ‘follow their dreams’ as b*****ks’ as she spoke out about their split following his Boat Race triumph yesterday.

The TV host, 45, said Cracknell’s family responsibilities took a back seat when he returned to Cambridge to study and appear in the Boat Race, and that she did not want their three children to develop the same attitude.

In an extraordinary newspaper article, Miss Turner laid bare the devastating effects that the rower’s near fatal brain injury in 2010, and more latterly his return to education and rowing had on their 17-year marriage.

She added that the sportsman, 46, had ‘underestimated’ the time commitment that his new lease of life would involve, and said his drive to become the oldest competitor in the famous race was partly to blame for their marriage falling apart.

Writing in The Times, she said: ‘James has spoken publicly about this latest feat, demonstrating to his children you can do anything you set your mind to.

‘He won’t mind me admitting that I consider that to be b*****ks – I wouldn’t want my children to view such an exit from familial responsibilities as something to aspire to.’ 

The rower announced his split with his wife Beverley Turner, 45, during his training for the historic race

The rower announced his split with his wife Beverley Turner, 45, during his training for the historic race

Cracknell, who is studying for a Master's in human evolution at Cambridge, celebrated his victory with his mother Jennie on Sunday

Cracknell, who is studying for a Master’s in human evolution at Cambridge, celebrated his victory with his mother Jennie on Sunday

James and Beverley have three children Croyde, 14 who was named after Croyde Bay in Devon where his parents got engaged, and two daughters, Kili, 10 , and eight-year-old Trixie

James and Beverley have three children Croyde, 14 who was named after Croyde Bay in Devon where his parents got engaged, and two daughters, Kili, 10 , and eight-year-old Trixie

James Cracknell of Cambridge University Boat Club celebrates after winning the men's Boat Race on Sunday

James Cracknell of Cambridge University Boat Club celebrates after winning the men’s Boat Race on Sunday

However, TV presenter Miss Turner, who watched on TV at home with the couple’s three children, did however describe her elation at the achievement of her ex and hinted at her own role in it.

She tweeted: ‘Behind every great man an’ all that. Fantastic performance from James Cracknell and Cambridge University. Congratulations on a hard won victory.’

At 46, the Olympian became the oldest winner in the 190-year history of the event as Cambridge defeated Oxford.

The accomplishment is all the more impressive given the brain injury Mr Cracknell suffered in 2010, where he was hit off his bike by a 60 mile per hour truck in Arizona.

But the injury had a devastating impact on his marriage and would have long-term repercussions.

At the hospital in Arizona a neurologist told Mrs Turner her husband would ‘live on Planet James for a while.’  

Following his accident Mr Cracknell went through a long recovery process and it is a testament to his drive that he has been able to become the oldest ever winner of the famous Boat Race competing with men 25 years his junior. 

But that drive is partially to blame for his marriage falling apart. 

The couple married in 2002 at Clearwell Castle in the Forest of Dean

They went on to form one of the most glamourous pairs in the worlds of sport and showbusiness

The couple married in 2002 at Clearwell Castle in the Forest of Dean (pictured left) and went on to form one of the most glamourous pairs in the worlds of sport and showbusiness

Beverley tweeted her congratulations to the rower after his history-making performance with the Cambridge team

Beverley tweeted her congratulations to the rower after his history-making performance with the Cambridge team

BBC presenter and former teammate Sir Matthew Pinsent embraced Cracknell after Cambridge raced to victory on Sunday

BBC presenter and former teammate Sir Matthew Pinsent embraced Cracknell after Cambridge raced to victory on Sunday

An important consequence of the brain injury were personality changes, a quiet man became loud and often those kinds of catastrophic injuries can lead to difficulties processing emotions and anger, increased irritability and poor judgement.

The three years after the accident were ‘the worst’ for Mrs Turner, and although Mr Cracknell has recovered and is ‘perfectly normal’ most days according to his wife he has changed.

She has been married to two different men, she writes, one for the eight years before the accident and another for the eight years after.

After returning from a appearance on Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls in 2018, Miss Turner says his behaviour was ‘unusual.’

She said: ‘On James’s return he started to apply for university courses, but his behaviour had deteriorated and I marched him to the neuropsycologist.

‘Tunnel vision,’ the doctor told us. ‘Frontal-lobe injury makes you more yourself.’

Mr Cracknell enrolled in a MPhil in human evolution at Cambridge and would then move away from home to concentrate on his training and degree.

English rowers, from left, James Cracknell, Steve Redgrave, Tim Foster and Matthew Pinsent pictured together celebrating with their gold medals on the podium at Sydney 2000 Olympics

English rowers, from left, James Cracknell, Steve Redgrave, Tim Foster and Matthew Pinsent pictured together celebrating with their gold medals on the podium at Sydney 2000 Olympics

The marriage came under intense pressure in 2010 after Cracknell suffered a crippling brain injury when he was involved in a crash with a truck while cycling in the US

The marriage came under intense pressure in 2010 after Cracknell suffered a crippling brain injury when he was involved in a crash with a truck while cycling in the US

The couple (last pictured together in June last year) said in a statement in late March: 'Together, we remain committed to our amazing children, they are our absolute priority and wish people to be kind and mindful of this.'

The couple (last pictured together in June last year) said in a statement in late March: ‘Together, we remain committed to our amazing children, they are our absolute priority and wish people to be kind and mindful of this.’

At 46, James Cracknell has become the oldest winner of the Boat Race in its 190-year history

At 46, James Cracknell has become the oldest winner of the Boat Race in its 190-year history

Over years Mr Cracknell’s changing personality combined with his massive drive to always achieve became too much for his wife.  

Misss Turner added: ‘The difference in 2018 was whether I could reasonably live with these exhausting, self-centred pursuits for the rest of my life.

‘I prefer the journey, to the destination: good wine and food; lively conversations with friends.

‘James is all about the target: sod the picnic, where are we going next and how quickly can we get there.’

In a statement in late March the couple called time on their 17-year marriage.

It said: ‘We can confirm that sadly we separated last year.

‘Together, we remain committed to our amazing children, they are our absolute priority and wish people to be kind and mindful of this.’

The couple married in 2002 at Clearwell Castle in the Forest of Dean and went on to form one of the most glamourous pairs in the worlds of sport and showbusiness and were regular faces together on the party and charity circuit.

They have three children Croyde, 14 who was named after Croyde Bay in Devon where his parents got engaged, and two daughters, Kili, 10 ,and eight-year-old Trixie.  

They previously collaborated on ‘Touching Distance’, a revealing book about their experience in which at one stage Beverley feared the man she once knew as her husband was going to kill her because of the personality change that he went through following the accident.

She wrote: ‘The tension in our house is reaching boiling point, and I’m with James almost 24 hours a day. It has been another long, upsetting, difficult day that culminates in Croyde crying himself to sleep after another hurtful telling-off from James. I lose it. I say I’ve had enough and he needs to get better elsewhere because it is too much for us. But I’m not calm and beseeching. I’m angry and exhausted.

‘I am already only too aware that 75 per cent of marriages do not survive a TBI (traumatic brain injury). When I read the books they confirm that it is this self-centred behaviour that is often the final blow for families.’

Cracknell, who won gold at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics as well as six world championship medals, has been living in Cambridge where he is studying

Cracknell, who won gold at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics as well as six world championship medals, has been living in Cambridge where he is studying

After his team’s victory on Sunday, Cracknell said he wanted to refocus his attention on his and Miss Turner’s three children – son Croyde, 15, and daughters Kiki, ten, and eight-year-old Trixie.

‘I’ll be celebrating now with these guys [his fellow rowers] and then I’ve got three more important people in my life that I want to make sure I’m there for,’ he said.

Cracknell won gold in the coxless fours at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and the Athens Games four years later. He retired in 2006.  

Mrs Turner said: ‘James exceeded all expectations in terms of his recovery and to most people, most days, he is perfectly ‘normal’.

Though the pair have split amicably she says that her father’s description of marriage as ‘pebbles on the beach that rub together over the years until the corners are knocked off and they sit smoothly together’, which Mrs Turner saw as wearing herself down was not something she wanted.

The couple are officially separated but remain close despite their looming divorce and even spend Christmas together.

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