Warning: Spoilers for episode two of The Assembly which airs on ITVX later tonight.
Series two of The Assembly has landed. And Nicola Sturgeon may be used to being grilled by politicians, but "nothing" was "off limits" when she sat down in-front of ITV's group of "autistic, neurodivergent and/or learning disabled interviewers".
And they certainly didn't ease the former First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in either.
Wasting no time, interviewer Mikey dove straight in with the question: "How does it feel being divorced?" Cue a chorus of 'oo's' and even a few concerned 'oh no's'.
Sturgeon clarified she's "not actually divorced, but separated" from her husband. But before she even had a chance to finish her sentence, she was quizzed: "What happened?"
"S**t happened," she joked, before diving deeper into the 'main reason' they 'chose to separate'. But for those of you not as clued up in Scottish politics...
Who is Nicola Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell?
Sturgeon's estranged husband Peter Murrell served as Chief Executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 2001 to 2023.
The pair met at an SNP youth event in 1988 and began dating in 2003 before tying the knot in July 2010 in Glasgow. However, in January 2025, Sturgeon took to social media to announce with "a heavy heart" the pair were parting ways and had 'been separated for some time now'.
During her appearance on The Assembly, Sturgeon reflected: "I mean there had been a lot of public coverage, my husband's been accused of a crime. So that is what everyone thinks it will be."
Indeed, Murrell was arrested as part of a police operation into the party's finances and was later charged with embezzlement in 2024. Sturgeon was also arrested but was released without charge and maintains she did nothing wrong. She later stepped down as first minister of the SNP in 2023.
Sturgeon said Murrell being accused of a crime "completely [blew her] world". However, while "not saying" it wasn't "a factor" to their split, she added: "I think, if I’m being honest, it was probably more than that."
The 'honest' reason Nicola Sturgeon and husband Peter Murrell split
Sturgeon reflected she's been a "very career-focused politician all [her] life," but is now "going into a phase of life" where she wants to "find out a bit more about who [she is] as a person, not just as a politician."
"You change. And I think sometimes, although the change is really hard, you will be happier because you go through that change, than you would be if you just stayed where you were," she said.
Alas, Sturgeon hadn't spilled the beans quite enough for her interviewers' liking, with another querying whether or not she's had any 'secret rendezvous recently' since her split from Murrell.
Nicola Sturgeon responds to whether she's had a 'secret rendezvous' since the split
Sturgeon noted this was the "only time" she hoped she'd have to give 'a politician answer' during the interview.
She responded, "Maybe," before advising: "This is one of those moments where you’re going to have to judge from my body language and read between the lines."
Probably relieved that line of questioning was finally over, but proving herself to be a good sport, Sturgeon added: "Great questions Mikey.”
You can watch The Assembly on ITVX now or tune in to watch it on-air tonight on ITV1 at 10pm.
