Damon Albarn’s partner of 25 years ‘was so heartbroken by their split that she hid it from her closest family and friends for months’ – as sources reveal couple struggled with Blur frontman’s travelling as he spent more of his time at their Devon home

• Pair have ended their relationship after a quarter of a century spent together 

Damon Albarn’s partner Suzi Winstanley was so distraught by the end of split that she kept the it from some of her closest friends and family.

Despite trying hard to save the 25-year relationship, the artist ended it several moments ago.

Sources close to the couple say that it was ‘kept a bit secret’ and only those who had to know were told.

It can also be revealed that they struggled with the Blur front man’s travelling schedule and his insistence that he spent much of his time at their Devon home where he has converted some of the space into a recording studio.

One friend told MailOnline: ‘Suzi was so heartbroken that she hardly told anyone. She really, really tried but the relationship just could not be saved.

‘It has been so sad for her, I suppose once you share news like that around it makes it all very final.’

Suzi, 55, was so heartbroken that she has been unable to listen to Albarn’s latest album, The Ballad of Darren, which is currently number one in the charts.

Many of the lyrics tell the story of their romance which began in the late 1990’s following Albarn’s split from Elastica star Justine Fleischmann.

Suzi Winstanley and Damon Albarn at the start of their relationship back in 1999 in London

Damon Albarn spotted out with his long time partner Suzi Winstanley in London back in 2021

Albarn had moved into a two-bedroom flat in Ladbroke Grove and got in cartoonist friend Jamie Hewlett in as a housemate.

Albarn had been invited onto Libby Purvis’s Radio 4 chat show Midweek, where Winstanley had also been a guest, due to her Olly and Suzi partnership, which specialised in collaborative painting of endangered wildlife.

As Hewlett and Albarn began coming up with the idea for the Gorillaz project, they would hold get-togethers in the property.

The Girls and Boys singer recalled in an interview with the Sunday Times in 2008: ‘We had some incredible parties in the flat.

‘Some very interesting people came through our door during that year.’

One of them was Winstanley and by the end of 1999 they had moved into a house together and welcomed their daughter, Missy.

He previously described becoming a father as ‘witnessing a life force’ in an interview with Esquire.

Damon Albarn and his daughter Missy Albarn seens at the Versace fashion show Spring Summer 2022

Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon of Blur perform at Wembley Stadium on July 8 this month

He said: ‘It massively changes you. It slowly sort of shaves off the unpleasant thorny bits and hopefully creates a nicely rounded.

‘I don’t know, having a kid, inevitably you look to the future far more.’

The pair kept most details of their private life under wraps, but Albarn would reveal snippets on rare occasions.

He disclosed that they would never tie the knot due to a fundamental lack of interest in the institution.

Albarn remarked on one occasion:  ‘I don’t think she’d marry me.

Suzi doesn’t believe in marriage, and nor do I. 

‘It’s been so ruined by everybody who’s got divorced.’

And travel needed for Olly and Suzi’s work ignited an interest in African music for Albarn.

But speaking to the Guardian in 2003, he insisted he would never talk about his life behind closed doors.

He insisted: ‘I appreciate that people want to fill in the gaps, and I know it’s annoying, but I just don’t want to talk about my private life.

‘I never have done and I never will. I’m consistent in that. I haven’t spilt the beans on anybody.’

Whatever the reason for the relationship ending, it looks that Winstanley is still very much a fan of Albarn’s music.

She was in the crowd at Wembley earlier this month to watch Albarn perform with Blur.

And for clues on how Albarn feels about the end of his time with her, the record The Ballad of Darren may give some hints.

In a song called The Ballad, the lyrics simply  say: ‘I just looked into my life/And all I saw was that you’re not coming back.’

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