Anita Rani has found ‘Freedom’ after getting Divorced

After divorcing her husband of 14 years, Anita Rani revealed she has found “freedom”.

The Countryfile presenter split up with Bhupi Rehal in September 2023 and in a piece for The Sunday Times, Anita explained how she has been navigating single life.

Anita also revealed how her upbringing had impacted her approach to life.

She admitted that her family believed divorce to be a “cardinal sin” and while she acknowledged it “isn’t easy to talk about”, she wanted to detail how she feels about her life now so “that I am answerable to no one”.

Anita said: “Becoming single in my mid-forties has made me re-evaluate everything.

“It has made me see how much I have been conditioned to be a dutiful woman, rather than a free woman.

“I was raised to be a high achiever, to make my parents and family proud, but I was also raised never to bring shame.

“This is where it gets kind of problematic, especially if you are born with a vagina.

“So I guess I’ve lived in extreme conflict.”

Anita “resented” doing what she believed to be her “duty” and said:

“Now I feel as if I’m beginning to breathe for the first time, do what I truly want to. And now hitting my mid-forties has given me a sense of urgency.”

She has covered the theme of generational trauma in her novel Baby Does A Runner.

Anita Rani explained: “I don’t think I am at a place of peace with it. I don’t want to sound like an angry, raging feminist, but I won’t deny that I’m angry.

“I’m a very happy, optimistic person fuelled by rage!

“I grew up in a Punjabi family where men and women were treated very differently and I could see the inequality everywhere around me.

“But when you have something to fight against, it really empowers you. It’s like a fire inside that drives you.”

Anita and Bhupi got married in 2009 and previously, she explained how the couple had a good marriage.

“He’s great and we have a great life. It’s like any marriage: you have to work at it.”

It is believed that they split due to their hectic schedules.

A source told The Mirror: “It’s really sad but they’ve decided to separate.

“Their hectic schedules over the past couple of years have sadly meant they’ve drifted apart over time.

“They remain on very good terms and wish nothing but the best for one another.”

Anita Rani moved back into a flat she bought 30 years ago and transformed it into her dream home following her marital split.

She said: “I feel like I’ve stepped into a place that I never, ever expected myself to be in.

“I’m in uncharted territory – I’m a single, Asian woman with no children, and do you know what? I love it!”