Chantal Collopy tells of break with Earl Spencer

Chantal Collopy (above), one of the 12 women with whom Earl Spencer is alleged to have had affairs, spoke of their relationship yesterday as he prepared to give evidence in his acrimonious divorce hearing in South Africa.

Speaking on Sky News, Ms Collopy, 37, said their affair ended when he told her he could never accept her two children in the relationship. The couple had planned to marry but he got "cold feet" at the last minute, after her own marriage had broken down. She said she decided to help Countess Spencer, Victoria Lockwood, after the earl made comments about her weight - the affair had begun while Lady Spencer was receiving treatment for an eating disorder.

"I was devastated by the fact that my family was now broken," she said. "I was now divorced with no one. I suddenly started feeling ... very insecure about the way I looked and started worrying about my weight because he had mentioned to me that I should not get fat ... I know what she has gone through.