Carrie Bickmore announces her shock split with her long-time partner Chris Walker

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Carrie Bickmore has separated from her partner of 11 years, Chris Walker.

The TV and radio presenter announced their split in an Instagram post on Wednesday morning, saying the pair was focused on co-parenting their three children, Ollie, 15, Evie, seven, and Adelaide, four.

The news comes just one month after Bickmore, 42, hosted her last episode of Channel 10’s The Project, after stepping down because she wanted to spend more evenings at home with her family.

‘It’s with immense sadness that Chris and I have decided to separate,’ she wrote.

Carrie Bickmore announces her shock split with her long-time partner Chris Walker

Carrie Bickmore has separated from her partner of 11 years, Chris Walker 

‘While this is a tough time, our focus is on parenting, loving and supporting our three children Ollie, Evie and Addie with everything that we’ve got.

‘They are doing great, We won’t be making any further comment.’

While the news came as a shock to fans, Bickmore – who just weeks ago was pictured with her children at the beach in Byron Bay – had hinted at her private struggles in a farewell letter to The Project’s hair and makeup team after quitting the show in November.

In a hand-written note to her glam squad, the mother of three thanked them for helping her get through some of the most challenging times in her life.

The TV presenter announced their split in an Instagram post on Wednesday, saying the pair was focused on co-parenting their three children, Ollie, 15, Evie, seven, and Adelaide, four

The TV presenter announced their split in an Instagram post on Wednesday, saying the pair was focused on co-parenting their three children, Ollie, 15, Evie, seven, and Adelaide, four 

Bickmore was pictured with her children at the beach in Byron Bay just a few weeks ago

Bickmore was pictured with her children at the beach in Byron Bay just a few weeks ago

‘To my hair and makeup family. Crap, I am crying already,’ the letter began.

‘You have held my hand through some of the toughest days in my career. You hear it all, see it all and share it all with me and I can’t explain how much I am going to miss you all.’

‘There is an unspoken bond between us all and please never forget how special you all are,’ the mother of three added.

‘I know this is not goodbye, just goodbye for now. Love to you all, Carrie.’

Bickmore is pictured with the hair and makeup staff on her final night on The Project

Bickmore is pictured with the hair and makeup staff on her final night on The Project 

The Project bid farewell to Bickmore on November 30, as she stepped down from the Channel 10 panel show after an impressive 13 years.

She thanked her friends, colleagues and viewers at the end of the broadcast, as well as Walker, who was sitting in the studio audience with their children.

‘Is it too late to change my mind?’ she said, fighting back tears.

‘To Chris. Thank you for everything. Your guidance and advice over the years, your amazing production skills…’ she added.

The split news comes just one month after Bickmore hosted her last episode of The Project, after stepping down because she wanted to spend more evenings at home with her family

The split news comes just one month after Bickmore hosted her last episode of The Project, after stepping down because she wanted to spend more evenings at home with her family 

‘This show has given us so much. We wouldn’t have our beautiful little prophets if it wasn’t for The Project.’

Speaking to her children, she said: ‘You guys are my world. Love you guys.’

‘To my parents, and my friends and family. It certainly takes a village to help a mum of three do a job like this on TV and I couldn’t have done it without all of you. So thank you so much for picking up the pieces,’ she continued. 

She thanked her friends, colleagues and viewers at the end of the broadcast, as well as Walker, who was sitting in the studio audience with their children (pictured)

She thanked her friends, colleagues and viewers at the end of the broadcast, as well as Walker, who was sitting in the studio audience with their children (pictured) 

Her departure also marked an end to her 17 years with Channel 10.

Bickmore and Walker’s love story captured the hearts of Australians.

They met as colleagues on The Project – she was a presenter and he was a producer – and they began dating in late 2012, two years after she lost her husband Greg Lange, the father of her eldest child Ollie, to brain cancer.

Despite his terminal diagnosis, Bickmore had married Langue in 2005 when she was just 25 years old.

After Langue died in 2010 at the age of 35, a widowed Bickmore started the charity Carrie’s Beanies for Brain Cancer in his memory.

Two years later and Bickmore had found love again with Walker, who became a stepdad to Oliver, and with whom she later had two daughters: Evie, born in 2015, and Adelaide, born in 2018.

Walker became a stepdad to Bickmore's son Oliver. They later had two daughters of their own: Evie, born in 2015, and Adelaide, born in 2018

Walker became a stepdad to Bickmore’s son Oliver. They later had two daughters of their own: Evie, born in 2015, and Adelaide, born in 2018 

Did Chris Walker’s nude Skype call give Carrie Bickmore the ‘ick’? 

Bickmore was left red-faced in May last year when Walker was caught with his trousers down during a company Skype call.

Walker, the executive producer of comedy show The Weekly, stripped naked in front of shocked ABC staff after he thought he’d left a video conference on May 17.

He wrongly thought he had left the conference when he took off his clothes in front of up to nine people, with the incident lasting between 40 seconds and two minutes. 

Walker had dialled in while on sabbatical in the UK with Carrie and their three young children, with the naked faux pas occurring during a meeting following rehearsals and before the taping of The Weekly with Charlie Pickering.

Bickmore was likely mortified by the incident, as Walker’s gaffe led to an avalanche of embarrassing headlines. 

In a statement at the time, ABC said it was ‘aware of an unintentional incident’.

‘The ABC is in regular communication with the relevant team members and are in the process of developing strategies to ensure an incident of this nature does not occur again,’ it said in a statement.

Following the incident, a staffer accused senior ABC managers of initially brushing off the gaffe as ‘hilarious’ and dismissing employees’ concerns. 

The ABC later offered counselling to staffers who witnessed the incident.

Bickmore previously said Walker had also suffered loss in his life, which helped the bond in the early days of their relationship.

‘He, like many people, understands loss and suffered his own loss in life and I think he just has a huge amount of compassion and he will always be incredibly supportive of me and for our family,’ she told TV Week.

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In April last year, Bickmore and Walker moved to the UK with their children for a school term.

In a lengthy Instagram post at the time, she explained they realised they needed to take a break during the Melbourne lockdowns.

In April last year, Bickmore and Walker moved to the UK with their children for a school term

In April last year, Bickmore and Walker moved to the UK with their children for a school term 

‘We feel like this is our last chance to do something like this together before Ollie hits the pointy end of his schooling and no longer wants to hang out with us so … we are heading to the UK for a school term,’ she wrote.

Walker previously told the Herald Sun he would find himself ‘missing’ his partner because of the couple’s busy schedules.

‘Carrie works so much as well [on The Project]. Particularly at the start of the week I find myself missing her and the kids quite a lot,’ he said.

Walker made headlines in May last year when it was revealed he had unknowingly stripped off at the end of a work Zoom meeting while he was on holiday in England

Walker made headlines in May last year when it was revealed he had unknowingly stripped off at the end of a work Zoom meeting while he was on holiday in England 

Walker made headlines in May last year when it was revealed he had unknowingly stripped off at the end of a work Skype meeting while he was on holiday in England.

He wrongly thought he had left the conference when he took off his clothes in front of up to nine people, with the incident lasting between 40 seconds and two minutes.

Walker had dialled in while on sabbatical in London with Bickmore and their children, with the naked faux pas taking place before a taping of The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, for which he is executive producer.

Bickmore was likely mortified by the incident, as Walker’s gaffe led to an avalanche of embarrassing headlines.

He wrongly thought he had left the conference when he took off his clothes in front of up to nine people, with the incident lasting between 40 seconds and two minutes

He wrongly thought he had left the conference when he took off his clothes in front of up to nine people, with the incident lasting between 40 seconds and two minutes 

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