Veteran actor Charles Dance reveals his 34-year marriage broke down after he 'came clean' to his wife after 'succumbing to some temptations'

Charles Dance has revealed his 34-year marriage broke down when he came clean to his wife about 'succumbing to some temptations'. 

The veteran actor, 77, told of his 'huge regret' that his relationship with sculptor Joanne Haythorn came to an end when they divorced in 2004 after he admitted he had cheated on her. 

The couple - who had two children together, son Oliver, 50, and Rebecca, 44 - wed in 1970.

The charismatic Dance blamed his behaviour on becoming an unlikely sex symbol after starring in the 1984 TV drama The Jewel in the Crown as he admitted he succumbed to his libido. 

But he said he is grateful his ex-wife was able to forgive him 18 months after he destroyed their three decade marriage and are now 'best friends'. 

Charles Dance has revealed his 34-year marriage to Joanne Hayforn (pictured) broke down when he came clean to his wife about 'succumbing to some temptations'

He said he never saw himself as attractive but his eyes began to wander when in the 1980s people started saying he was 'the thinking woman's crumpet' (Pictured: Dance on a beach in Venice in 2020)

Speaking to Gyles Brandreth on the Rosebud podcast, he said: 'For the most part it was a wonderful marriage, but then, unfortunately, I succumbed to some temptations along the way and the marriage ended because of my behaviour really.'

Dance and Haythorn were living in Somerset, spending their days at separate ends of the 'enormous' house, when he broke the news to her about his cheating past.  

'I eventually had to come clean,' he said. 'Because we were living in Somerset, in this enormous place, and Jo had her study at one end and I had mine at the other end, and we became a bit like George and Martha (in the play) Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? really after a while.

'Eventually I came back and I thought, 'really, we have to have [a] very serious conversation'. And I had to come clean and it came as a shock to Jo, bless her.'

He told Brandreth he never saw himself as attractive but his eyes began to wander when he starred as Guy Perron in The Jewel in the Crown and people started saying he was 'the thinking woman's crumpet' .

'I always felt very grateful if girls behaved as if they were attracted to me,' he said. 'But there is no justification for it, you know.

'In our business, Gyles, temptation is often presented and you have to be pretty together and balanced, and have not a particularly powerful libido to not succumb to that.

The charismatic Dance blamed his behaviour on becoming an unlikely sex symbol after starring in the 1984 TV drama The Jewel in the Crown (pictured)

The couple - who had two children together, son Oliver, 50, and Rebecca, 44 - wed in 1970

But he said he is grateful his ex-wife was able to forgive him 18 months after he destroyed their three decade marriage and are now 'best friends'

'So, the marriage came to an end – huge regret. But after about 18 months, Jo and I, thankfully, became the best of friends, and we remain so, thank God.

'She had a flat not very far away from where I live and we saw each other quite frequently, and so it kind of all turned out all right in the end.'

He confessed it took him a long time to learn the law of cause and effect and he would have done things differently in his marriage if he could turn back time.  

Dance, who starred in The Crown and Game of Thrones, is known for having had a string of younger girlfriends. He was linked to Emilia Fox before his divorce, and had a relationship with actress Sophia Myles, who was 33 years his junior, from 2003 to 2005. 

Dance later dated model Shambhala Marthe, 26 years his junior. His next love was painter Eleanor Boorman, 25 years his junior. They split after she had a daughter by him when he was 65.

He found love again with his Italian girlfriend Alessandra Masi, who is 22 years his junior. 

Dance described Masi, 55, last year as 'fantastic' as he talked for the first time about how they met on the set of his film, The Book of Vision. 

Former actress Ms Masi was working as a production manager on the surreal historical movie which was shot on locations in Italy and Belgium.

He found love again three years ago with his Italian girlfriend Alessandra Masi (pictured), who is 22 years his junior.

Dance described Masi, 55, last year as 'fantastic' as he talked for the first time about how they met on the set of his newly released film, The Book of Vision

He added that the Bologna University graduate now lives with him most of the time, 'which I’m really pleased about'

Asked what was his main memory of the movie, he said: 'To be honest, it’s meeting Alessandra.' 

He added that the Bologna University graduate now lives with him most of the time, 'which I’m really pleased about'. 

In an interview with The Times, Dance admitted that his joy at meeting her overshadowed the film, saying: 'Well, it does a bit. Alessandra’s fantastic. I’m very, very lucky.' 

The actor, who keeps in shape swimming on Hampstead Heath, told an interviewer in 2019 that he likes 'beautiful women'. He added: 'I like independence, I like strong women, women who survive and thrive in what is still a male-dominated world in most professions.'