Dr Ranj Singh says leaving his wife and coming out as gay was the "most difficult time of his life".
The doctor – who was eliminated from ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ with his professional dancing partner Janette Manrara last month – opened up about the tough decision to end his marriage after his former father-in-law slammed him in a recent interview.
Dr Ranj, 39, married Sulvinder Samra, 40, in 2005 but ended their marriage in 2011 after realising he is gay.
He wrote on Instagram: "All I would like to say is that the process of realising who you are, and being able to be your truest self, is different for everyone, and often not easy.
"My realisation happened later in life and was heart-breaking for all involved.
"Luckily, I had the support of great friends and family, but not everyone has that which is why I have shared my story before in the hope that it may help others. I have nothing but respect for my ex-wife and her family, whom I was very close to, and wish them all the very best for the future."
His comments come after Sulvinder’s father admitted he couldn’t bear to see the star on TV.
He told MailOnline: "A lot of years have passed but whenever I see him on television I either turn it off, switch channels or just walk out of the room. He still brings back a lot of painful memories for me.
"The marriage and why they divorced had a devastating impact on us all. We never expected anything like this would happen and if I’m being honest, it’s something that is still a little difficult for me. I have obviously accepted it but it’s still hard.
"Your daughter marrying a doctor is a dream for most Asian parents. It was a fantastic wedding and we thought he was the perfect match for her.
"We knew they were having some problems about two years into the marriage but didn’t really know the full extent of what was going on. When I discovered that it was because of his sexuality, I just couldn’t get my head around it. Perhaps I’m just too old to understand these things."
Dr Ranj Singh discusses painful split
