Moonflower Murders and The Crown star Lesley Manville has opened up about the struggles she faced when her ex-husband, Gary Oldman, divorced her – leaving her as a single mum with a newborn baby.

Lesley Manville, who stars in the new season of BBC crime drama Moonflower Murders and its previous series, Magpie Murders, opened up about the challenges of her early years as a mother and actress. One of the biggest personal hurdles the TV star, 68, came when her then-husband, Hollywood actor Gary Oldman, left her just three months after their son, Alfie, was born.

Lesley, who also starred as Princess Margaret in The Crown, met and married Gary Oldman, now 66, in the late 1980s. At the time, Slow Horses star Gary was rising to fame, while actress Lesley was building her career in theatre and television. The couple welcomed their son, Alfie, in 1988, but Gary soon decided to leave the relationship. The split left Lesley as a single mother to a newborn, juggling the demands of early parenthood with her blossoming acting career.

Opening up about his tough period in life, Lesley has said that her ex-husband’s departure was a defining moment for her. Though the experience was painful, she says it made her stronger, pushing her to focus on her career. Speaking on Desert Island Discs , she said: ‘I thought we’d be together for ever – we’d have a big family. But maybe if that had have happened, maybe I wouldn’t have the career I’ve got now.:

Lesley added: “I wasn’t going to fall apart. There was absolutely no question about it for me. I was going to carry on working. And I was also going to be the most brilliant mother. Somehow, I did it. It made me incredibly disciplined about my work.”

The couple divorced in 1990 three years after they had married – and the same year Gary went on to marry Pulp Fiction actress Uma Thurman.

After their split, Manville put her energy into both her career and raising her son, finding huge success in films like Another Year and Phantom Thread, which saw her nominated for BAFTAs and Oscars, as well as starring on hit TV shows over the years, including Emmerdale and Cranford.

Though Lesley and Gary went their separate ways, they remained connected through their son, Alfie, who is now 36 and also an actor like his famous parents.

Most recently, Lesley has continued to take an unfiltered approach to sharing all, with the actress getting real about her career, and making one very bold bedroom confession.

Lesley’s impressive journey from single mother to Oscar-nominated star continues to go from strength to strength, as she can now be seen starring in the new series of BBC whodunnit Moonflower Murders, the sequel to Magpie Murders.

Moonflower Murders kicks off on BBC One this Saturday 16 November, with a double-bill of episodes at 9.15pm and 10.20pm