Woodall, perhaps best known for her ‘What Not to Wear’ fashion TV series with co-presenter Susannah Constantine, was married to entrepreneur Jonathan Elichaoff before they divorced in 2009. The couple were married for 10-years and had a daughter together.

As part of the divorce settlement, it was allegedly agreed that Mr Elichaoff would pay his estranged wife £24,000 a year in maintenance costs as well as repaying a loan from the TV fashion expert totalling £1.4 million. It was later revealed that the businessman had been declared bankrupt just before the divorce was finalised, which meant that the original settlement was rendered null and void.

The most dramatic part of the story took place in November 2014, when it was widely reported that Mr Elichaoff took his own life by jumping off a rooftop carpark. At the time, rumours circulated about the involvement of the Russian mafia, but an inquest into the 55-year-old’s death concluded that the death was suicide. Mr Elichaoff had reportedly been depressed about some bad investments involving oil, was said to be addicted to prescription painkillers and had been admitted to hospital for mental health problems just a couple of weeks before the fatal incident.

Woodall pursued for debt repayment

In what a spokesperson for the TV presenter has described as a “nightmare” situation, Trinny Woodall is now being pursued by the trustee in Mr Elichaoff’s bankruptcy for the debts he left behind when he died. The creditors owed nearly £300,000 by the businessman are claiming that as the wealthier party at the time of the divorce – due to Mr Elichaoff’s undisclosed bankruptcy – Ms Woodall should have actually been paying her husband maintenance.

The creditors are now taking their case to the High Court in order to force Ms Woodall, who is now in a relationship will millionaire art dealer Charles Saatchi, to settle the debts and the legal bills involved in pursuing the case. The claim was initially thrown out by the court, but is now being appealed.

Trinny Woodall’s barrister Caroline Hely Hutchinson is reported to have told the High Court:

"My client had a five-year-old daughter and she was entirely responsible for the pastoral and financial care of that daughter.

"The husband was a drug addict and these debts have been accrued post-separation. As it is, that man never made a further contribution to his wife and never repaid the £1.4m."

Although they are rarely as unusual and complex as this one, divorce cases can become quite complicated. It is in these situations that it is essential to have an expert in your corner. If you’re worried about what lies ahead in your divorce case, contact Liverpool divorce lawyer Tracey Miller Family Law for expert advice.