A look behind the end of Ellie Goulding’s marriage: KATIE HIND reveals the real story of her ‘thing’ with Zac Goldsmith and how she went to Costa Rica to see the hunky surf instructor after meeting him last month – while on is heading for a divorce from husband Caspar Jopling

A break from the sun, thousands of miles away from the prying eyes of the public (and cameras), was just what singer Ellie Goulding needed after a painful ‘rough patch’ in her four-year marriage.

Carefree days on the beach in Costa Rica – surfing, swimming and not thinking about the growing rift in her troubled relationship with husband Caspar Jopling – would certainly give her the thinking space she needed to find a way back to the marriage that she had ever had. so dear.

But when photos surfaced this week, taken by a local photographer, of the 37-year-old frolicking in the waves, without her wedding ring, and in the company of a muscular and handsome surf instructor named Armando Perez, no one was left behind. some doubts. Ellie’s fairy tale has come to an end.

For more than 18 months her management company has maintained that she and Caspar, with whom she has a three-year-old son, Arthur, were determined to save their marriage, but a source close to the singer told the Mail this week: ‘Ellie and Caspar are already separated for a while, but they all pretended to be together.

‘The fact is, it’s over. Ellie moved away a while ago, but she didn’t want anyone to know.

‘But now she enjoys the company of other men and there is simply no turning back.

‘It’s so sad, especially because they have little Arthur, but they can’t make it work and now it’s sadly ending in divorce. There is no way the marriage can be saved.

“It wasn’t necessarily the outcome they wanted, but that’s where they are now. Ellie is ready to date other men and if he isn’t already, Caspar will definitely be back on the market soon.”

The source added: ‘It all got a bit awkward when Ellie heard about the pictures. She didn’t think she’d be seen all the way with Armando in Costa Rica, so there had to be some pretty creepy conversations happening.”

However, a friend admitted that the photos “could have been worse.”

It’s a sad ending for the Brit award winner, who married the man she thought was ‘The One’ in a star-studded ceremony at York Minster in the summer of 2019.

Ellie grew up in a council house in Herefordshire, with a single mother who worked in a supermarket and a stepfather whom she hated. She had a difficult childhood.

Her musical talent was spotted at an ‘open mic’ night while she was studying music and drama at the University of Kent, and her rise to fame was often told as a rags-to-riches story.

Her 2010 debut album put her on the A-list of celebrities and she was invited to perform at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding reception in 2011, where she sang Sir Elton John’s ‘Your Song’.

Before meeting Caspar, she dated Ed Sheeran, Niall Horan and Radio One DJ Greg James.

She and Caspar, 32, are said to have been introduced by mutual friend Princess Eugenie, who knew him through her connections in the art world, and Ellie socially.

The couple met at a dinner with friends in New York in 2016, where Caspar was working as an art dealer for Sotheby’s. Ellie was at the end of a tour and admitted: ‘I was exhausted that night and I almost didn’t go.’ Moreover, she had just divorced Dougie Poynter, singer in boy band McFly, with whom she had been in a relationship since 2014.

No one could have predicted how well the date would go. In stark contrast to Ellie’s upbringing, Caspar is the Eton and Harvard educated son of the Honorable Nicholas Jopling, who comes from a family of wealthy farmers in the Yorkshire Dales.

But despite their contrasting backgrounds they soon became a devoted couple and their wedding followed three years later at Castle Howard, the stately home where Brideshead Revisited was filmed.

Ellie went all out. Dressed in a long Chloe dress and with a £150,000 ring on her finger, she arrived in a blue camper van. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were among the guests, as well as James Blunt, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom.

In April 2021, the couple welcomed Arthur Ever Winter Jopling. Their happiness seemed complete.

But two years ago cracks began to appear in the relationship, and they were said to be living separately – with Ellie in the marital home in west London and Caspar moving to their second home.

A source said at the time: ‘There is a problem, that’s true. They have two houses and currently live separately – but still do things together with Arthur.’

The press was then informed that they were trying to get through a ‘difficult period’.

However, waiting in the wings was former Tory MP Zac Goldsmith.

Ellie and the multi-millionaire Eton-educated son of the late billionaire financier Sir James Goldsmith have formed an unlikely bond again over their shared love of green issues.

Although Team Ellie always insisted they weren’t seeing each other outside of environmental obligations, it can be confirmed that “they were kind of a thing,” according to a friend.

It was then, last September, that Ellie and Caspar had once again tried to make their marriage work, and just four weeks ago they were spotted together at a Ricky Gervais show in London.

But this week, any hopes of them officially reconciling were dashed when Ellie flew to Costa Rica – leaving Caspar at home – for a ‘wellness break’ holiday with her best friends, described by someone on social media as ‘girls on tour’. .

The vacation was captured in photos posted by close friend Cassandra Gracey – an executive at Sony Records – who described them practicing yoga and playing games.

And she indeed looked good and happy when she reached the beach. She was pictured hugging Perez, who runs the local surfing school, as he lovingly kissed her head.

She was also pictured trying to surf, under his supervision. While it might look to the world like a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, sources close to her say that’s not the case and she flew to Costa Rica to see Perez after they met there last month.

But the emergence of the photos has given Ellie a headache. After learning she had been spotted, she hurriedly told friends and industry figures that she was officially single.

Last night she said on Instagram: ‘In light of the recent stories, I feel I have no choice but to let you all know that Caspar and I privately parted ways some time ago.

“We remain the best of friends and have successfully co-parented, putting our son’s best interests first. We are committed to protecting our family’s privacy and thank people in advance for respecting our wishes. We will make no further comment. Thanks x’.

This Saturday, Ellie returns to work at the BRIT Awards, where she will perform with Calvin Harris, who she was romantically linked to in 2013. A source said: ‘It will be Ellie’s big moment to say: ‘I’m back. She can’t wait.’

But the question swirling around the music industry is: who will join her on the red carpet for her biggest night of the year?