I have only just heard about this.

Obviously, I'm gutted, devastated, whatever.

I think they waited too long really.

Love becomes friendship - if you are lucky.

Who knows, maybe they will realise they can't live without each other.

Still it is their life, and I am over the obsession I had for ages with them, but I still love them both, and will always remember 2001 with great fondness.

Bonzo my friend, glad you are well - just sad you felt the need to gloat and cast dispersions.

Paul didn't lie - the guy was and is honest.

Be nice

Good luck to Paul and Helen

I know this will sound crass, but as I will be updating one of my websites with a wrench, will a number of those with Helen and Paul banners be changing them now along with the various related avatars? :bawling:

Ill keep my avator and banner as they arent really specific to to their relationship.

Well said ROB, its their life and you have to respect that and wish them well even though it is sad. But what do you mean by saying 'they waited too long'?

I have the view that they waited too long aswell CC.
In my opinion when you've been in a relationship for so long things do change.It's not the same as at the start but that doesn;'t mean it's bad.I think it is more like a friendship or companionship at least.
I think if they'd married then perhaps they would have giiven it a better chance but who knows how they'd been feeling really.We only have their interviews to go from.
As for my avatar and signature as much as it's sad to see I'm leaving them for now as it makes me sad to think about changing them:sad:

I mean, every relationship has it's rocky periods. They stayed single too long. Each waiting for the other to take the final step - in the end when the first flush wears off, you either weather the storm, and find a new place to put them in your heart, or you just throw in the towel.

If they had married after a couple of years they would probably built even more irreversible bridges and ties.

I married OH a few months after marrying him. The odds, and his parents were against us, and it hurried us into a probably foolhardy early commitment to each other.

I hardly noticed my relationship with OH throughout our early years. Too busy bringing up two gorgeous little boys, developing a career, and looking after my mum when she had finished looking after us as a family.

Then my boys left home for Uni, and my mum died, and I looked at OH and couldn't find the bloke I married. He never changed his feelings for me. We had a few rough spells throughout, although there was never anyone else.

If I hadn't had the boys, maybe we would have gone our seperate ways after 5 years.

Now he is my best friend, my only real soul-mate..

I just fear H&P are making the mistake that many do. The first passionate flush isn't really a long-lasting thing.

What you develop into is a warm, kind and tender affection for each other. You think and say the same sort of things, you share so much and so many memories.

The most enduring thing in a successful relationship is really LIKING someone very much, and having a wonderful, intimate friend.

I still think they have that you know.:love:

Good points and I agree with it.

Im only 24 but I can see that the honeymoon period is only temporary for 95% of couples. Ive been with my lass for 16 months and we are still in that first flush of love/lust where your heart genuinely skips a beat when you hear them on the phone or see them coming through the front door. I know it wont last forever, but I really feel we are good friends and I think true friendship can last. Thats what I thought H & P had- Paul was always making the point that she is/was his best mate. So maybe they are making that mistake as you point out ROB, and maybe they will realise that they need each other, but..........people do change and if you read Helens early interviews and compare them to her recent interview in this section that I linked to, you can see she is more mature and maybe they just didnt want the same thing anymore.

I always did think that they might not make it, even though I didnt say so on here because once it went past 2 or 3 years, the chances of them getting married did seem to diminish.

Saying all that, it is very sad but, maybe we should be happy for them that they had a good time together and shared a lot of experiences.

Lets hope they can find happiness elsewhere and remain friends.

I tell you what though- its great that they have been amicable to each other and that they havent done separate interviews where they slate each other and spill the beans about their private time together. Maybe they really will stay friends?

:thumbs:

I never doubted they would get married even after so many years though.I didn't get married until we'd been together for 12 years as we were very young when we met although we never lived together before and so I think that makes a difference.I think living with someone you really get to know them and probably after the first couple of years know if it's going to last.
That's why I was shocked I thought perhaps it was that people were asking them all the time and they were just going against the pressure other people were putting on them to do it.
I don't think marriage and children would put things right but the excitement of getting married and then later having children would have taken things to another level I think.
I'm not saying though that it would put problems right and nobody should do it for that but if it's just a case of wanting to move foward it would have been one solution.I know they have to do what is right for them but I just hope that they don't expect any relationship to be different after such a long time as they may never find that happens.I always thought the fact that he called her his best friend would mean it would last as after the first few years and excitement were over that would have been the right ingredient for growing old together.
I'd have felt better if she was staying close though as they'd have had more contact I'm sure.

From reading the interview it seems they split for practical reasons like where they wanted to live, and the fact that people still recognise them, rather than not being able to get on with each other well enough any more.

It's a shame that, because it looks like their relationship was eventually ended because they met initially on Big Brother - if they had met up normally there wouldn't be the possibility for Helen to do the media work that Paul might think makes it more difficult for him to be a private person. It's understandable that Paul wouldn't want to harm his career, and it is also understandable that Helen would like the idea of a TV career.

In retrospect Helen being a hairdresser from Wales who was given celebrity opportunities because of a reality TV show and Paul having a professional design career was going to push them in different directions, I think.

Also if they hadn't met on Big Brother people wouldn't still know who they are... I'm sure that is really a big reason for this breakup because you only have to put yourself in their shoes to understand how strange it is for other people to know about you while you know nothing about them. Some celebrity-type couples obviously love this attention, and that is why they constantly sell details of their lives to magazines, but most ordinary people dislike it immensely and Paul, in particular, obviously wants to stay private.

That is one of the reasons I liked Paul in Big Brother - he had a good career (in a technical area that is interesting to me) and looked like he was happy to go back to that after the show finished.

Of course it would have been impossible for Helen and Paul to meet, and get to know each other, had they not been on BB together given their differing backgrounds.

From watching how they were together on Big Brother - and admittedly that was five years ago - I thought they were made for each other. Even if the initial feelings had faded to friendship and companionship I don't think that they would just split up because of that alone - and given away the relationship they still had - without the practical problems.

I'm not sure that getting married would have made a difference to them staying together, though having children obviously would have if that had come about. But from what Helen said in interviews she didn't want children in the near future.

Again this opinion is based on only the interviews they have given from time to time (which wasn't that often).

I realise it must be a big wrench, so hopefully these will help :spin2:


http://www.thebighouse.co.uk/tibb/rob.gif

http://www.thebighouse.co.uk/tibb/rachb.gif

Thats hilarious^.:sleep:

Good points there James, I agree with pretty much everything youve said.

I think its just a huge shock to us beacause we were so convinced they had it made. On the recent BB Love Stories show shown in May, Helen still spoke lovingly of Paul and looked happy.

I got the impression that Paul probably wanted marriage soon and maybe children too, but they probably didnt agree. I guess its that age old problem of just not wanting the same things.

Who knows? and Im glad we dont know. Im glad they've managed to keep their private details of the split to themselves. I respect that hugely for that, as Im sure we all do.

I hope we still hear the odd thing in the press/media from Helen, but I feel this is the last we hear off Paul.

My message to Paul and Helen (if ever you did/or do read these sites) is: We all hope you get the happiness you deserve and all the luck in the world finding it. Thanks for the great memories!:thumbs:

Oh this is really bad news! I hope they stay friends- they had such a good thing together!

Its sad for us, but maybe we should be happy for them that theyve managed to split amicably and stay loyal to each other rather that get involved in a slanging match as a lot of other celebs do when they split.

I just cant see them being that close a friends because Helen is moving away- its such as shame.

I didnt want them to split obviously, but I hope they find someone else to love, but as cc100 says, I think true love only happens once- if youre lucky!

God bless, and we all still love you both!:hello:

Its great that they dont seem to have had a big falling out and there seems no bitterness.

I have thought about it all, recovered slightly, and now I'm so down again. I want to get hold of them both and put them back together, Tonights BB eviction just made me think about all the Paul Survival moments, the 'shall we have our talk?' ........'in the den?' moments.

Ignore everything else I said. I'm gutted, and feel so frustrated I can't do anything about it.

They belong together!

Are you out there you two???

Listen to Auntie Wendy.

Get a room and make babies you silly people.!!!!!

(Thanks to my gs for the illustration!)

I know the feeling ROB. Its such a shame, it really is. I still cant beleive it...............:puzzled:

We have to respect their decision and Im sure they didnt take it lightly, but...........they are made for each other- I hope they havent made a mistake. I just think they'll regret it one day- perhaps they are just two stubborn people unable to back down?

From reading between the lines, I cant help thinking that if Paul had said he would go with Helen to Bristol, they wouldnt have parted- who knows?


Found this:

End of an era as Helen and Paul split

On one of the Welsh entertainment websites, it says that Helen has been approached for ITVs Celebrity Love Island this summer.

If its true, Im not sure its the right thing for her to do...........

From what little knowledge I have read about the spli it does seem there is no real bitterness involved.

Do we know if either are in another relationship now!!!

They were so well matched I find it difficult to believe they won't miss each other after a rest apart and perhaps re-unite.....

They survived all the pressure of publicity after the show and beyond so I do not believe still being of media interest had anything what so ever to do with their split.

They have remained a private couple since leaving the house and I am afraid the truth behind their seperation will also remain private..

Still hoping for an eventual happy ending....Bananarama..:sad:

Celebrity Love Island - well perhaps they could put both of them on it. Helen on her own I dont think would be a good thing - too close to the breakup. I do hope that Helen isnt setting her sights on a media careeer now because I honestly think it is too late for that.

As others have said if you are lucky once you have got past that honeymoon period you learn to be each other's best friend and soul mate. I really thought this was what had happened to them.

It is so easy to give up on relationships, I know my OH and I have had our ups and downs in the past, perhaps it was the kids that kept us together I dont know, but we always sat down and discussed matters. I know when the kids were young I always put them first, but now they have left home we have had to build a relationship with just the two of us, and know what its Great. His accident last year made me realise he really is my best friend, it could have been so different. He really was lucky.

Paul and Helen had it hard right from the start with all the media attention, it was a wonder they got together in the first place. Makes me want to sti them down, bang their heads together and tell them to remember how it felt then. Is it worth giving up all the good time for an uncertain future?

As Helen always said she felt as if part of her is missing when she was away from Paul. Lets hope she feels that way now.

Though why Helen wants to live in Bristol I dont know. Perhaps it was an iniital compromise to be halfway between Newport and Reading. But Bristol will give her a great welcome. she can always come to me for a cup of tea and a chat.

The problem is that for a lot of us 2001 was Paul and Helen. It was so nice to see genuine love growing in the house rather than the 'lets have a relationship to keep us in' that seems to be the thing now.

Five years is a long time to be together, there will be lots of reminders for them (as well as for us). But if they really arent right for each other then it is better for them to break up now rather than get married, have children and then break up.

I think we were all in such a state of shock when we first heard its taken a few days to sink in.

Well said BusyBee.

Perhaps Helen wanted to go to Bristol for some kind of media job, but Paul wanted to stay where he is? Id love to see more of helen in the media, but not at the expense of her relationship with Paul.

I thought that if they did break up, it would be Pauls decision. I cant beleive hes let her go. Madness!!:sad:

I suppose we all want Helen to be happy- but maybe Paul just didnt do that anymore? We'll never know.

As for Love Island- Pah! It'll never happen. Theres no way she'd do it. As much as we want to see more of her on telly, we dont want to see her on this trash.

BTW-ROB, could you (or anyone else) u2u me your email address please, as my u2u is playing up again?
Thanks.

There's quite a few letters in Heat magazine this week about H&P lots of them from names I recognise:wink:
Think mine was probably put in the 'too sad to print' section:rolleyes:

Anychance that James could scan them in?

Mine's there - you will have to work out which one it is - I admit it - I'm sad.:blush2::blush2:

*Reminds my self to buy Heat this week*

I still havent read the interview theyve given to heat yet, as its too sad and feels like the end of an era.

Do you know what I mean?

As for the letters in heat this week- I sent a letter into heat about 6 weeks ago suggesting they did an interview with P/H as it was their 5th anniversary soon.............

Oh CC think we should declare 11 July a day of mourning. What could have been.

As for me I still cant bring myself to alter my banner. Sad I know.

Yep, 11 July will be a sad day indeed. An official TiBB day of mourning.

As for the banner- I dont think you or other members should change them.

Lets not forget the good times, eh?

no I agree dont change the banners:thumbs:

I'm going to keep my pic of them in my banner

I had a look at the letters in the shop today. I didn't buy the magazine though.

There's a mention of Helen in The Sun today in the TV biz section.
It says she's working in a small salon in Bristol.
She's been spotted looking at luxury flats in Portishead Marina.
''A 'source':rolleyes:says she wanted to make a new start and move away from London.Five years is a long time to be with someone and the split is still fresh in her mind,she wants to start anew''

there's a small picture of her drying someones hair:wink:

Dont know whether Helen would be happy in Portishead - full of upmarket snobs who 'travel to the office in Bristol every day'.

Should think being in a small salon would mean less people asking questions because they probably dont know who she is.

I shall keep my eyes open just in case I can report a sighting of her around.

Any chance of a scan of the pic, please? Or is it on the website?

I can try and scan them later if I get a chance.

Oooo great, thanks Princess.

I was just going to ask someone them to scan them in too!

Thanks Princess!:hello:

Thanks Laura

There's no sign of it on the website sorry about the quality of this had to do it on my camera as my scanner is broken:thumbs:

its sooo bad. they were great together but if they werent happy its for the best

oh thanks rach!!

Thanks rachb.:thumbs:

I guess the curse of Hello! strikes again...........:bawling: