Judge grants divorce to Louise and Jamie Redknapp after 19-year marriage

Judge Ian Mulkis on Friday granted a divorce decree at a hearing in the Central Family Court in London.

Neither Mr Redknapp, 44, a former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder who now works as a television pundit, nor Mrs Redknapp, 43, a founding member of the band Eternal who reached the final of the BBC's 2016 Strictly Come Dancing show, were in court.

Paperwork showed Mrs Redknapp had filed for divorce and claimed the marriage had irretrievably broken down because of Mr Redknapp's "unreasonable behaviour".

Mr Redknapp had not mounted any defence to his wife's divorce application.

Judge Mulkis held that Mr Redknapp had behaved in such a way that Mrs Redknapp could not "reasonably be expected" to live with him.

The judge concluded the marriage had "broken down irretrievably" and granted a decree nisi.

A marriage formally ends when judges grant a decree absolute. A wife or husband can apply for a decree absolute six weeks after a decree nisi is granted.

The judge granted divorce decrees for the Redknapps and two other couples at a public hearing which lasted 25 seconds.

Four journalists were at the hearing but no members of the public.

Louise Nurding had married Mr Redknapp on a luxury yacht in Bermuda in 1998.

Mr Redknapp's father Harry, a former Tottenham manager and ex-West Ham winger, was among guests.

The Redknapps, who have two sons, Charley, now 13, and Beau, nine, had started dating in 1996.