Fay Ripley has revealed that she has The Traitors US host Alan Cumming to thank for her marriage.

The 59-year-old Stretford Wives star opened up on The One Show this evening (June 12) about her journey on ITV's DNA Journey, but it was her personal anecdote about Alan that stole the show.

Fay shared a charming tale of how Alan "gave" her a husband after a segment featuring the stage icon discussing his new children's musical.

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Host Alex Jones noted that Alan played "a key part" in Fay's life, prompting her to recount: "Alan gave me a husband!"

Fay elaborated on her story, saying: "I was staying with Alan in his flat in New York because I couldn't afford to stay anywhere.

"He was like, 'You can come stay with me,' we were old friends," reports .

She added with gratitude: "He introduced me to a friend of his and I married that friend, so thank you Alan!"

The Cold Feet actress tied the knot with Australian actor Daniel Lapaine in October 2001 in a picturesque Tuscan ceremony. The couple have two children, Parker born in 2002, and Sonny born in 2006.

Reflecting on her marriage in a 2010 interview with The , nearly a decade after they wed, Fay expressed: ""I still look at him and think, 'how lucky am I?'"

She then quipped: "Not all the time, especially when he's standing in front of me in his thread-bare pyjamas. "

Sharing the key to her successful relationship, she disclosed they have "no real secret," other than: "Apart from making sure that we're never apart for too long. I remember a friend of mine saying, 'three weeks is the cut-off point - up until then you still need each other'.

"But once three weeks have passed, you get used to being on your own and can manage without the other person - then it gets dangerous.

"So if we're ever apart for two weeks six days, I make sure we're together again by the time the clock strikes midnight!"

The One Show airs weekdays from 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.