The friend said: ‘I don’t think Tamara was getting what she needed out of that relationship any more. They wanted different things from life.’
Mel had openly sworn off marriage for many years, believing it would never be part of her future, but has since conceded that she had a change of heart, especially since turning 50 and wanting to ‘do all the things’.
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Their relationship ended 15 years ago during a time in which Chris was determined to make it as an actor in Hollywood.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Ms Salamacha admitted their divorce was ‘hard’, but she remembered their time together fondly.
She said: ‘We weren’t looking for anything, we just met and fell in love.
‘We were in London for a few years – I was at university doing my Masters and we came back and forth to Australia before eventually moving back.’
The couple lived with Chris’s late mother Kerry for a few years while trying to save for their first home in Sydney.
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Mel C and Chris Dingwall tied the knot in a star-studded ceremony in the English countryside last weekend
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Chris was previously married to former Australian actress Tamara Salamacha (pictured together in March 2012)
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The pair married in their early 20s and travelled the world together (Ms Salamacha is pictured)
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She explained: ‘She was a really special woman and I was really close to his brother and sister, they’re a beautiful family.’
So close was her bond to his family, Ms Salamacha attended Kerry’s funeral last year after she passed away following a battle with Parkinson’s Plus – a group of neurological conditions that share some symptoms with Parkinson’s disease but also involve other areas of the brain.
Ms Salamacha remains coy regarding the reasons why they parted ways, admitting ‘divorce is s**t and it’s hard and there’s not really one reason that contributes to it’, before hinting Chris’s acting ambitions caused friction between them.
She explained: ‘He went off to LA to pursue his stuff and I did a bit of travel. He was headed on his own path.
‘I don’t know what he’s like now, but I know he always aspired to be admired.
‘We had a lovely time together and I hope for his sake that he is in love and has found satisfaction and is happy.
‘I am, and I feel incredibly happy and settled after a long time.’
Ms Salamacha’s comments contrast with a former friend of the couple, who claims their split was far less amicable than she makes out.
Indeed, the friend claims Chris’s bid to crack Hollywood drove a wedge between the couple they never really got over.
And she doesn’t see Chris as ‘the one that got away’, as the former actress totally changed her outlook on life since they split – and has since remarried and become a mum.
The friend said: ‘I don’t think Tamara was getting what she needed out of that relationship any more. They wanted different things from life.’
‘They went their separate ways and Tamara was heartbroken at the time, but she doesn’t look back now and think what could have been?
‘She has switched paths, she is no longer in the entertainment industry and has pivoted to the not-for-profit sector.
‘She has a loving long-term relationship a
