EXC Rylan Clark-Neal's desire for a family and husband Dan's hunt for TV career led to split

Rylan Clark-Neal and his husband Dan’s split was the result of their different desires in life, sources revealed to MailOnline.

On Monday, it was reported that the duo had split after almost six years of marriage after Rylan, 32, recently sparked concern among fans following his mystery seven-week absence from his Radio 2 show as well as being silent on social media.

Insiders have now divulged details of the demise of their relationship, citing Rylan’s well-publicised desire to have children and Dan’s longing for a TV career as part of the reason for the split, saying: ‘They just couldn’t resolve their differences’. 

The news comes after BBC officials voiced hopes for Rylan’s imminent return, telling MailOnline: ‘Rylan is taking a few week’s break and we look forward to him returning to Radio 2 in due course.’

Friends of Rylan and Dan, who has a 21-year-old son Cameron, have stated they are ‘unsurprised’ by news of the split due to their different aims in life. 

Sources told MailOnline on Monday: ‘Rylan loved being a step-dad and was wonderful but it just couldn’t fill the gap he felt for wanting his own children.’   

Rylan has made no secret of his broodiness, saying in 2019: ‘I have a 19-year-old stepson already – Cameron – and he’s amazing. I want to be a dad, I’d love it to happen, it’s when and how.’ 

Insiders also revealed that Dan’s desire for fame was a large part of their relationship and he has even have multiple showreels made in a bid to win success. 

The source went on: ‘Dan really wants a TV career. He looks at Rylan being so effortless. He’s had showreels made and would love to be a TV star’.  

After hosting This Morning together in 2017 as stand-ins for the lead presenters, Dan’s TV career failed to take off further while Rylan remained firmly in the spotlight. 

Later that year, Rylan spoke about their marriage to BUILD series LDN, where he explained that their relationship was often filled with arguments. 

He said: ‘We recently did something together and it was about being the perfect match and they had to keep stopping and say ‘you have to make out you like each other’ because that is me and Dan and I think that’s real…

‘I hate when you see all these people on TV and they’re like ‘I love my husband, he’s so amazing, he’s my soul mate, he’s my best friend’, it’s like shut up, are you joking?…

‘Mine does my head in! I wake up next to it and go to sleep next to it, that’s enough! Obviously we love each other but we row all the time, I think that’s normal?…

‘With me and Dan we’re both on a level, we both get it, things that annoy him, annoy me and then I’ll get annoyed and he’ll ask me why I’m annoyed and that’s why we row because we both do the same things to wind each other up…

‘Sometimes that’s a recipe for disaster but that’s why we get on and our families get on so well. It is like one family now.’

While insiders spoke of Dan’s desire for fame, at the time Rylan said about their work together, saying: ‘We recently did something together…

‘Dan and I, we don’t work together. We’re not that sort of couple that do the magazines and stuff like that, good for you if that’s what you want to do but I hate it. I can’t stand so when me and Dan did This Morning…

‘The only reason we did that is because it was such a big deal, we were the first gay couple to do it, it meant something and we’re done it a couple of times, we might do it again, we might not but it’s not top of our list because Dan likes to do his thing and I like to do my thing.’

According to The Sun, Rylan decided to step back from work amid the couple’s decision to separate and he will be back on the airwaves soon.

A source said: ‘Rylan’s one of the most beloved people on TV so fans will be sad to hear what has happened. He often spoke of their relationship on air and they even co-hosted an episode of This Morning but unfortunately things haven’t worked out.

‘They don’t want to discuss it in public and a bit of time off is probably for the best for now.’

Rylan and Dan first met in 2013 when the former police officer was a contestant on Big Brother while Rylan was hosting spin-off show Bit On The Side.

The pair started dating after Dan left the house, getting engaged in September 2014 and marrying in November 2015 surrounded by friends and family and a host of famous faces including Amy Childs and Gok Wan.

MailOnline have contacted representatives for Rylan for comment. 

Rylan’s last appearance on his Saturday afternoon Radio 2 show was on May 8, but station bosses have been unable to give any confirmed date for the star’s return.

Millions of loyal listeners have tuned in at 3pm each week to discover that the former X Factor contestant had been replaced by stand-in presenters, including Strictly dancer Oti Mabuse and TV star Vernon Kay.  

Anxiety among his fans increased further following Rylan’s withdrawal from social media. Usually a regular user, the star has not tweeted since April 10 or posted on Instagram since May 9.

Sources said the star was left ‘distraught’ following the death of his close friend Nikki Grahame, the Big Brother contestant who died in April following a battle with anorexia. 

The presenter, who shot to fame on The X Factor in 2012, also pulled out of hosting the semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 18 and he and his mother, Linda, have not taken part in Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox – although he has explained that her battle with Crohn’s disease had forced them to pull out. 

In announcing Rylan pulling out of hosting the Eurovision Song Contest last month, the BBC stated: ‘Unfortunately Rylan is unwell so won’t be providing commentary for the upcoming Eurovision Semi Finals on BBC Four, however Eurovision superfan Sara Cox will be joining Scott Mills and Chelcee Grimes live in London bringing viewers all the action from the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam tonight & later this week.’ 

They added that Rylan’s illness wasn’t COVID-related. 

Rylan, who joined the Eurovision presenting team in 2018, had previously spoken about how excited he was for Eurovision 2021. 

He said: ‘There was a big Eurovision shaped hole in my life last year, so I am super excited to see what everyone brings to the table for 2021 – it’s the best time of the year.

‘I am looking forward to being reunited with Scott for the semi-finals and to welcome Chelcee to the team. Plus Embers is an absolute tune – I can’t wait.’    

Rylan’s representatives did not respond to inquiries from The Mail on Sunday when asked his whereabouts – and even colleagues at Radio 2 said they had not been told why he was absent.

Fans took to Twitter to share their concerns, with one saying last week: ‘Missing you very much on Radio 2 Rylan, sincerely hope you are okay and hope to hear you back on the radio soon.’ Another wrote: ‘Missing you Rylan x my favourite radio 2 presenter x get well soon Saturday afternoon is not the same without you x.’

A third told The Mail on Sunday: ‘We haven’t heard from him for weeks, it is a mystery. We just want to know what is the matter with him and that he is okay.’ 

Back in 2017, Rylan’s marriage to Dan was said to be on the rocks and he was said to be seeking advice from close friend Katie Price. 

The mother-of-five famously turned her marriage to Kieran Hayler around at a time of crisis in 2014 when it emerged he had cheated on her with multiple women. 

An insider told Now magazine at the time: ‘Rylan has been so busy lately. He’s hardly seen Dan and, with the backlash Babushka received for temporarily replacing The Chase, it’s fair to say that he’s stressed.

‘He and Dan have been arguing over silly things, but it’s really putting pressure on their marriage.

‘Rylan doesn’t know what to do, but neither of them wants to throw in the towel over this.’  

Katie was alleged to be teaching Rylan how to move on from petty bickering. 

Rylan has become one of the busiest men in showbusiness after rebranding himself as a television and radio presenter following his stint on The X Factor, where he was considered the ‘joke’ act and finished fifth.

He has hosted ITV’s This Morning and replaced the late Dale Winton when the channel brought back the gameshow Supermarket Sweep.

Two years ago, he joined Zoe Ball as co-presenter of the Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two. He is now due to work alongside former professional dancer Janette Manrara on the show after Zoe stood down earlier this year.

Back in August, Rylan admitted to having fears of being overexposed as his broadcasting career continued to go from strength to strength.

He told The Sun: ‘I would like just to have my couple of bits to see me through the year all spaced out and that’s that, but in the last two years the jobs I’ve done have all been announced around the same time.

‘I don’t want to be like chlamydia. I don’t want to be all over the f*****g shop and everywhere, that’s definitely not what I want. In my nice little world I could have Supermarket Sweep and Ready Steady Cook. They’re at different times of the year.’