Is Ralph Fiennes trying to overshadow his ex-wife’s Strictly debut? Clip of actor dancing with woman who ‘wrecked his marriage’ is released

by

The timing is remarkably bad, and it seems like Ralph Fiennes might be intentionally upstaging his ex-wife, Alex Kingston, on her Strictly Come Dancing debut. He’s released a trailer today showing him dancing with the woman who was reportedly involved in their divorce.

Ralph, 62, will share the stage with his former girlfriend, Francesca Annis, for the first time this Friday. They’re performing in a play titled Small Hotel at the Theatre Royal Bath.

Francesca isn’t playing Ralph’s romantic partner in the play, and it might just be chance that he selected a video of them dancing during rehearsals to promote the play on YouTube.

The 90-second clip was released on the video streaming platform this morning, just one day after his ex-wife, Alex Kingston, first appeared on Strictly Come Dancing.

It features voiceovers from both Ralph and Francesca.

Interestingly, in the video, Fiennes actually seems to make the situation even more uncomfortable. He explains: ‘The play explores themes of closeness and previous relationships. Essentially, it’s about two former lovers getting back in touch and the difficulties that reunion creates.‘

The actor, nominated for an Oscar three times and widely recognized as Voldemort from the Harry Potter series, continues by saying: ‘I believe there are themes of loneliness, a lack of connection, and feeling disconnected-both from people we’ve been close to and from ourselves.’

Francesca, who is 80 years old, explains: ‘One of the joys of working on a new play is that how you see your character evolves based on your interactions with the other actors.‘

Francesca and Ralph are sharing the stage again three decades after beginning a relationship. They didn’t seem to mind the age difference – she was 17 years older than him – and first connected while performing in a production of Hamlet together.

Interestingly enough, Francesca is once again portraying Ralph’s mother in Small Hotel – a role she first played thirty years ago when she was Gertrude to his Hamlet.

I’ve seen a lot of relationships blossom, and the connection between Ralph and his future partner was truly something special. It happened so quickly – by 1995, things were already incredibly intense. In fact, within just two years, he’d shared with his wife at the time, the actress Alex Kingston, whom he’d married in 1993, that their marriage was coming to an end. It just goes to show how powerfully people can connect, and sometimes, those connections lead to unexpected changes.

After that, Alex talked about how deeply upset she became when she found out about the affair, to the point where she even thought about taking her own life.

Francesca, age 50, also ended her relationship with photographer Patrick Wiseman, who had been a significant part of her life since 1974. Though they never got married, they shared three children together.

Given their complicated past, and considering Ralph seemingly didn’t realize how it would look to share a video of him dancing with Francesca today – so soon after his ex-wife Alex started on Strictly – she definitely seemed to be moving on with her life as she appeared on TV. It was clear she was putting the past behind her, and focused on the present.

Alex and dance partner Johannes Radebe earned 21 points, which placed them around the middle of the leaderboard after the first week of competition.

Around 2006, Ralph Fiennes and Francesca Annis ended their relationship. This followed an account from Cornelia Crisan, a 31-year-old Romanian singer living in London, who revealed she had been involved with Fiennes for two years.

She explained that it all started when Ralph saw her at the Dorchester Hotel, located in London’s West End. He treated her to champagne and then seduced her.

After that, Ms. Crisan stated that they met at a secluded spot – a ‘bolt-hole’ – in London’s East End, away from the home he had with Francesca.

The next year, a flight attendant from Qantas shared details of two romantic involvements with Ralph – the first happened on a flight from Australia to India, where the actor was giving a presentation on safe sex, and the second took place in a hotel in Mumbai.

In 2023, the Daily Mail reported that Ralph had become close to Amelia Richards, a prominent socialite who had recently ended her relationship with James Lindsay, the son of Lady Annabel Lindsay, a close friend of Queen Camilla.

Regarding dating a man almost twenty years her junior, Francesca stated previously: ‘Naturally, I don’t dwell on the age gap. How could I?’

I’m powerless to change the situation. Ralph and I have been together for a decade, and regardless of what the future holds, we’ve shared a wonderful, unique connection and enjoyed some truly interesting times. It’s been a very good relationship, and I cherish the memories.

Opening on Friday, Small Hotel features Ralph Fiennes as Larry, a well-known television personality whose life and work are quickly falling apart.

The story follows him as he revisits his past and considers what lies ahead, and along the way, we meet a cast of memorable characters. These include his complicated twin brother, Richard, his former lover, Marianne, who is full of surprises, and his strong-willed mother, Athena, portrayed by Francesca Annis.

Ralph Fiennes’ representatives were contacted by the Daily Mail for comment. 

Read More

2025-09-30 00:49