Jack Whitehall's parents share secret to happy marriage after brutal divorce

The parents of comedian Jack Whitehall, Michael and Hilary, have shared the secret to more than 40 years together. It comes as the couple recently sparked speculation as Michael, 85, commissioned a moving billboard to travel through the streets of West London, bearing a simple but meaningful message that turned heads and sparked curiosity among passers-by as he sent a grovelling apology to his wife, 64.

It read: “Dear Hilary, I’m sorry. Love, Michael xx”. After a week of bickering and misunderstandings that had fans speculating, Hilary and Michael Whitehall have revealed the real reason behind it all was actually a health issue. It’s not marital drama; it’s untreated hearing loss. Hilary exclusively told Express.co.uk what had been happening in their marital home. When asked what the secret to a happy relationship is, she replied: “I mean, I would say pick your battles, definitely. There’s no point in arguing about everything, you have to think what is really important here? What would you say Michael?” Her husband responded: “Agreeing with you. Anything you say, I agree with.”

Hilary then added: “I would also say that Mr Whitehall is very good at not letting the sun go down on an argument. Mr Whitehall is very good at saying, ‘right, come on. We are not going to sleep on this argument, so let’s just get through this and sort it out, and then we can go to bed. Tomorrow is another day’. He’s not a sulker.”

Despite such a happy marriage with Hilary, Michael has actually been married once before. He married Jane McIntosh in 1969 but the couple had no children together and they divorced just a few short years later in 1973.

In a previous interview, the couple admitted that Michael's previous marriage was an issue for Hilary's parents who were not too accepting of her new love when they first met. The devoted husband told the Guardian: "When I asked Hilary’s father if I could marry her, her parents looked quite shocked.

"After we’d first been introduced, he said to Hilary: 'You said he was older – but you never said how much older.' They were not very sure about me, particularly because I’d been married, and had had another girlfriend since then, and I drove a Jaguar XJS."

Michael's diagnosis comes as new research from Specsavers reveals that couples aged 55+ now say “What?” more often than “I love you.” Furthermore, nearly half (46%) of people in relationships admit they’ve argued with their partner due to not hearing them properly, leading to feelings of frustration (42%), being ignored (33%), and even unloved (11%).

To watch the Whitehall’s PSA please visit this link. If you or your partner aren’t quite hearing each other clearly or you’re not getting the whole conversation, book a free hearing check with a Specsavers hearing expert. It might just solve more than you think.