Laurence Fox considered taking his own life after divorcing Billie Piper

The ‘Victoria’ actor was married to the ‘Doctor Who’ alum - with whom he has 11-year-old Winston and Eugene, six - for almost a decade between 2007 and 2016, and has said their split was so difficult he couldn’t see “the point in being alive”.

Laurence blames the family court system for assuming women “are better nurturers and raisers of children”, and said he was worried he wouldn’t be able to see his children because of allegations - which he has denied - that were made by Billie.

He said: “Certain aspects of the family court system are difficult as a man. [It assumes women] are better nurturers and raisers of children when all of the facts are that children need both parents.

Laurence Fox with ex wife Billie Piper

“It’s ‘Believe the woman;. It’s, like, ‘No! Don’t believe the woman. Provide the evidence. Provide this evidence. Try me as a f***ing criminal, man, and let’s see how far you get.’ This is a poison in our culture, and it’s wrong.

“I imagine every single divorce is like it. There’s loads of blokes top themselves because of this stuff.”

And when asked if he considered taking his own life, he added: “I did. Not within the marriage. Afterwards. Not from the grief of the breakdown of the marriage, even though I did grieve the breakdown of the marriage, because you see it as a failure. But suddenly not being a family with your children every day was the bit that sent me over the edge, and I certainly, definitely had thoughts of what’s the point in being alive?”

Laurence, 41, says he’s now over the divorce “in the emotional sense”, but claims the logistics of their breakup, including co-parenting, “never ends”.

Speaking to The Sunday Times magazine, he said: “[I’m through the divorce] in the emotional sense. But the logistical sense never ends. As the family therapist man says: divorce is marriage on acid.”