Lucy Mecklenburgh warned over 'cracks' in Ryan relationship after unusual sleeping plan

Lucy Mecklenburgh’s confession about sleeping in a different bedroom to fiancé Ryan Thomas has sparked a warning it could cause “cracks” in their relationship. On the At Home With The Thomas Bros podcast, Lucy, 34, admitted she now sleeps apart from Ryan, 41, after eight years together. “Basically we sleep in separate bedrooms because Ryan is a nightmare sleeper,” she revealed. “Ryan snores, he sleep talks, he whacks me in his sleep.”

Chatting to the former Coronation Street actor and his brothers Adam and Scott, she explained her decision to snooze separately each night, saying, “It’s just to get a good night’s sleep. And that’s just become normal now.”

Lucy, who has two children with Ryan – Roman, five, and Lilah, three – said she often cuddles up with their son to get a decent night’s kip. But couples’ counsellor Caron Barruw says this habit could harm Lucy and Ryan’s relationship.

READ MORE: Charlotte Hawkins’ GMB blue floral dress is the perfect wedding guest outfit and it’s on sale

“From what I’ve seen after 28 years of specialising in couples, sleeping apart often leads to a divide. I’ve never seen it strengthen a relationship and I’d say it should be done with huge caution,” she warns. “I always say to clients, ‘Be careful about this because it’s literally setting the groundwork for two different lives.’”

Caron acknowledges there are often medical reasons to sleep apart, but adds, “Creating a barrier to intimacy can lead to cracks in a relationship.”

But a source tells the Mirror Lucy and Ryan aren’t worried what others think of their nighttime ritual. “They do what works for them – they don’t really care what anyone else thinks,” the source said. “Because of Ryan’s work, Lucy does a lot of the hard work at home with the kids, so she needs her sleep. She knows that if she doesn’t get a good night, she’s setting herself up for a rough day.

“They don’t think there’s anything wrong with it and they know lots of other couples who do the same. They love each other very much and they’re not missing out on anything. They still have quality time together. They just don’t want ruined sleep afterwards!”

Some experts believe snoozing separately can be a good thing. Sex and relationship therapist Rhian Kivits says, “The space can be beneficial if there are commitments like work and travel, or if there are young children who wake in the night. Sleeping apart can mean couples are better able to fulfil their own roles in the relationship, because they’re well-rested and their routines don’t disturb each other.

“Some people also benefit from personal space at night to decompress and de-stress. Busy couples, celebrities included, need to be able to operate as a team, and sleeping apart can help them do this effectively.”

Rhian adds, “Absence can make the heart grow fonder, so when they do spend nights together, they’ll appreciate the opportunity to relax and connect.”

In the long term, Caron suggests the pair may wish to find a solution to Ryan’s snoring and fidgeting. “I usually ask if there are any compromises that allow couples to sleep together – a bigger bed or having treatment for snoring,” she says.

“One thing you can do last thing at night is lie in bed together, watch TV, maybe have sex, talk or hold hands. Then when it comes to actually going to sleep, one of you leaves the room, then comes back as soon as you wake up so you still have those morning rituals together.”

Lucy and Ryan first met on the set of Celebrity Island With Bear Grylls in 2017 and got engaged in 2019 in Italy. They welcomed baby Roman in March 2020 before having Lilah in May 2022. Ryan has a daughter, Scarlett, from his previous relationship with Corrie co-star Tina O’Brien.

The pair are not alone in their nocturnal arrangements. Other celebrities have also spoken about so-called sleep divorce, including Radio 2 DJ Jo Whiley, 60, who recently said, “Separate bedrooms all the way!”

Chatting to Zoe Ball on their Dig It podcast, she said of her husband Steve Morton, “He tosses and turns so much in bed that as soon as he turns over the adrenaline’s there and I’m sat up in bed going, ‘Is there an earthquake? What’s going on?’ And then I can’t get back to sleep.”

“However, if I’m lying in my bed and I’ve got Gardeners’ World’s Monty Don on the screen, I can sleep quite well.”

Prior to splitting from Scott Sinclair, Helen Flanagan, 35, revealed they slept separately for seven years, with her sharing a bed with their children instead. “I’ve always co-slept with the kids out of easiness and basically so I can sleep and function in the morning,” she said.

Former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison, 37, has revealed she doesn’t always sleep in the same room as husband Ercan Ramadan, 31, as she enjoys the company of their dogs, Max and Milo, too much. “I sleep with the dogs and he sleeps in the spare room,” she said.

Hunkering down apart has long been a royal tradition, too. Famously, the late Queen and Prince Philip had separate bedrooms throughout their 73-year marriage. It’s thought that King Charles and Camilla also prefer sleeping solo, while even the Prince and Princess of Wales were once said to have separate nighttime quarters.

Well, if it’s good enough for royalty…

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , and Threads .