Gavin & Stacey star Ruth Jones, 58, has revealed that she and her partner, David Peet, 71, have separated after 26 years together. The couple, who married in 1999, have ended their relationship "amicably" and "remain good friends", marking the close of a significant chapter in their lives.
Speaking to the PA news agency, they shared: “We amicably went our separate ways 18 months ago and are now legally separated. We remain good friends.
“Since our separation, Ruth is living in London and David is living in Canada, where he is in a new relationship.”
The couple met in the early 1990s while filming a pilot episode of a comedy for the BBC and began a romance while David was still married. "Affairs cause a lot of pain; they’re not something one aspires to do. You don’t aspire to cause pain to people in their life", she said.
Ruth Jones discusses her menopause journey
During a literary talk in Bath in Somerset for her new novel, Ruth - best known for her role as Nessa on the hit sitcom she co-wrote with James Corden - opened up about her menopause journey. She candidly spoke about struggling with mood swings and often “weeping down the phone” to friends while navigating menopause in her early 50s.
“When I started to go through the menopause I was completely amazed by how it affected my moods and I’d be on the phone to one of my best friends and I’d be weeping on the phone ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m a different person’.
“And it was really astonishing and I started HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and almost over night it kind of went away.”
The star spoke about the importance of being open about certain topics, such as menopause, with the hope of making others feel less alone.
“My mum used to say to me ‘I don’t know what all the fuss is about. I don’t think I ever went through the menopause’. And I say ‘Mum you must have done’.
“Davina McCall has done stuff and talked about it. It’s more about communication. I mean you don’t want to go out and talk about anything personal all the time and shove it down everyone’s throats but on the other hand it is good so people don’t feel alone and think ‘Oh my god this is only happening to me’.”
Ruth Jones' books
Away from the camera, Ruth Jones is a woman of many talents. Known for her sharp wit and comedic timing on Gavin & Stacey, it’s no surprise that she also has a way with words. However, writing page-turning novels requires a different skill set than crafting screenplays alongside a funny co-writer to bounce ideas off. Though she has successfully mastered both, proving herself not only as a gifted actress but also a talented author.
Her first book Never Greener was published in 2018, a second, Us Three, in 2020 and her third, Love Untold – about four generations of one family and the secrets they keep – was published in 2022 to great acclaim. “Ruth Jones writes with such warmth you can't help but fall in love with the characters,” James Corden has said about Love Untold.
Her fourth book, By Your Side was released (in hardback version) on the 22nd May 2025.
Interestingly, the novel’s protagonist, Linda Standish, is a plus-size divorced woman in her 50s. Ruth revealed that there have been talks about adapting the book into a TV drama, and she said she would be excited to take on the lead role herself.
“One of my characters in my book Love Untold is about to go into the menopause. She is about that time in her life. Seeing characters going through the menopause is interesting but I don’t know how I’d write about it in a funny way.
There’s no chance, however, of success going to Ruth’s head. Anything but. “I look at the three books and think, ‘Who wrote these? Did somebody else do it?’”, she says.
“When I was first taken on by Transworld publishers, we talked about how people would perceive me as a novelist and whether they would expect everything I wrote to be about the life and loves of Nessa," says Ruth (58). "Or whether they'd think, 'Hang on, she can write something else'. I mean, I had written my comedy drama Stella for Sky. I think I thought people would have a particular expectation about me but then the first book went down well and then the second...
“One of the benefits of being an actress is that I can read the dialogue out loud and hear how it sounds; that helps a lot."
The actress, comedian, producer and screenwriter added another string to her bow when she published her first fiction book, Never Greener, back in 2018, the author has since written three further novels and an upcoming Gavin & Stacey book with James Corden.
Here's a list of Ruth Jones' books in order:
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AmazonDoes she find it more difficult writing a novel than a screenplay?
"There are pros and cons to both so that's a hard question," she muses. "With a novel, you do feel like you have total control over it - give or take - and I talk to my editor about it or my agent. But apart from them, I get on with it myself.
"Writing a screenplay with someone else, you get to see what makes each other laugh - like with James and also my (ex)husband David who I wrote a couple episodes of Stella with. You get to try things out more. I'm more nervous with a novel."
David, it seems, was a great help with writing her novels, though.
"He's the one who has to read everything. I feel sorry for him as he has to hear me moaning on or I'll try an idea out on him. He's great in that regard. It's better for me to say it out loud to him rather than mull it over in my head.
"I don't think we'd write a novel together. I wouldn't impose my sketchy and disorganised writing schedule on him. I have no writing rituals. I wish I was one of those people who has a routine and start and finishes at a certain time. I will say in my defence, though, that once I start, I don't stop.
Unless she gets the dreaded writers’ block, that is. “Yes, I get writers’ block massively,” she says. "I write anywhere but there is one place that I write which has a magnifying mirror and tweezers and I sometimes think I'll just check my eyebrows when I should be writing. I do get easily distracted and it's a good idea to leave the phone somewhere else in the house."
One of the great things about Ruth's novels is that her characters are just so human and relatable.
"I'm very fond of saying, there's a little good in the worst of us and a little bit of bad in the best of us,” she reveals. “Redemption is a really good quality and a good way forward. I like writing about the horror of betrayal but also the joy of forgiveness and getting back to a level playing field again.”
It’s said that everyone has a novel in them, but how on earth to get started and get published? “I do think the saying about ‘writing about what you know’ is really helpful,” she explains. “Writing a diary is a good way of starting prose fiction. Even if you write it as someone else. And there are so many good writing workshops and things online.”
What is Ruth Jones' new TV show?
BAFTA-winning actress Ruth Jones is keeping busy with two major new roles. She’s been cast as Mrs. Bennet in The Other Bennet Sister, the BBC’s highly anticipated period drama starring Call The Midwife’s Ella Bruccoleri. Joining her on screen will be Downton Abbey’s Richard E. Grant as Mr. Bennet, bringing a fresh take on the classic Austen family.
In addition to this, Ruth is set to star as Elena Ravesncroft in a thrilling new series Run Away, based on a story by bestselling author Harlan Coben. Fans can expect plenty of suspense and drama as she takes on this gripping project.
TV shows with Ruth Jones
Gavin & Stacey (2007-2024)
Ruth Jones and James Corden co-created Gavin & Stacey after James attended a wedding in Barry Island, where the Bride was from Wales and the groom was from England. "It really struck me that I'd never really seen a wedding like this on TV," he told the BBC.
"It was really these cultures coming together - very similar, and yet completely different."
He shared the idea with Ruth (the pair became close pals after starring in Fat Friends together, which Pam actress Alison Steadman also starred in) and she was eager to write the show with him and the rest is history!
We love seeing Ruth alongside her co-stars like Alison Steadman in Gavin and Stacey so back in 2023 we asked the question: Are any more ‘Gavin and Staceys' in the pipeline? A Christmas special, perhaps? “No there aren’t plans for it,” she confirmed. “Any cast members who are interviewed are always asked that question and it’s the only thing that gets reported rather than their new projects.
“Don’t get me wrong, I am so thrilled that people love it and that it’s multi-generational. But everyone is doing great things with their careers and trying to get everyone together was difficult when we did the last Christmas special.”
However, our wishes came true as Gavin & Stacey: The Finale was broadcast on Christmas Day in 2024, which saw Nessa (Jones) and Smithy (Corden) finally get married! It was watched by a whopping 12.3 million viewers.
To mark the momentous occasion, an Access All Areas special called Gavin & Stacey: Making the Finale was released to BBC iPlayer, and the documentary Gavin and Stacey: A Fond Farewell is available to watch from New Year's Day 2025.
In May 2025, Ruth Jones won a BAFTA for Best Female Comedy Performance and accepted the award as Nessa.
Stella (2012-2017)
Ruth Jones co-created Stella, the comedy-drama, with her husband, David Peet. She was also the head writer and an executive producer on the show. Set in the fictional South Wales valleys town of Pontyberry (filmed in Ferndale, Rhondda), the show focuses on the ups and downs in the life of Stella Morris, a single mother in her mid-forties.
FAQs
How old is Ruth Jones?
Ruth Jones was born in Bridgend on the 22nd of September, 1966, making her 58 years old.
Is Ruth Jones Welsh?
Yes, Ruth Jones is from Wales and grew up in Porthcawl with her two brothers, a sister, her mum (a G.P), and her dad (a solicitor for the British Steel Corporation in Port Talbot).
Did Ruth Jones go to school with Rob Brydon?
Yes, Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon both attended Porthcawl Comprehensive School in South Wales. Although Rob is 16 months older and was in the year above, the two became friends during their school years and have remained close ever since.
Their long-standing friendship led to Ruth and James Corden offering Rob the role of Uncle Bryn in Gavin & Stacey, a part that became one of the show’s most beloved characters.
Where does Ruth Jones live?
Since splitting from her husband, Ruth Jones has been living in London. Previously, she split her time between there and her home in Cardiff.
Arabella Horspool is a Commercial Content Writer for Yours at Bauer Media. She's a bookworm who is passionate about TV, film and theatre. She enjoys cooking, scrapbooking, playing board games and spending time with her pet dogs, tortoise and chickens.