Carrie Bickmore’s ex Chris Walker breaks silence on split: ‘Grief can last a long time’

The ex-partner of Carrie Bickmore has spoken out for the first time since his “difficult” split from the popular TV and radio personality.

The ex-partner of Carrie Bickmore has spoken out for the first time since his ”difficult” split from the popular TV and radio personality.

Chris Walker sat down for a candid interview with broadcaster Luke Darcy’s Empowering Leaders podcast, during which he opened up about their 11-year relationship which ended in early 2023.

In the podcast, which goes live on Wednesday, Walker revealed it wasn’t the media intrusion that surrounded their high-profile split that was painful to bear, but rather saying goodbye to the family unit he and Bickmore had built.

“We built a family together. It’s what I thought our life would be. But life had a different plan,” Walker said on the episode, as per the Herald Sun.

Chris Walker and Carrie Bickmore announced their split in January 2023.

“The media part of it wasn’t a big deal for me. It’s so far down the list of, you know, saying goodbye to the kids twice a week,” he said.

Walker said he has found it “enormously challenging” not seeing his kids every day – he shares two daughters with Bickmore, Evie, 9, and Adelaide, 5, and is also stepfather to 16-year-old Ollie, her son from a previous marriage.

“I had always assumed I’d be around them a hundred per cent of the time,” Walker added.

“It’s the one thing in life that I’m happy to be super confident borderline hubristic about … I’m a really good dad.”

Walker is a TV producer who has worked on programs such as Hard Quiz with Tom Gleeson and The Weekly with Charlie Pickering. And while he says he’s never been a “gun producer”, he was “born” to be a dad.

The couple share two daughters, Evie and Adelaide, and Walker is also stepdad to Carrie’s son, Ollie.

“I love it and I wanna be around them all the time. I find that really difficult,” said Walker, who met Bickmore in 2012 when she was co-hosting The Project.

He added that he has “incredible friends” to lean on during “rougher times in my life”, but this break-up has been next-level devastating.

“The thing is, grief can last a long time,” he said. “It’s difficult for the kids, difficult for the families.”

It was in January 2023 that Bickmore shocked many when she announced their split on social media.

“It’s with immense sadness that Chris and I have decided to separate,” she wrote on Instagram.

The couple were together for 11 years.

They had met in 2012 on the set of The Project.

“While this is a tough time, our focus is on parenting, loving and supporting our three children Ollie, Evie and Addie with everything that we’ve got.

“They are doing great. We won’t be making any further comment.”

Walker shared a similar statement on his Instagram, and two days later also posted another message thanking his family and friends for their support.

“Thanks to friends, family and colleagues on an otherwise rubbish day,” he captioned a photo of himself with his children and another family member at the time.

“Glad I get to be with the three best people on Earth (+ Jem) to finish it. Your words and kindness (and food) have been cherished. I haven’t got back to you all, but I will and I love you heaps.”