Comic and actress Victoria Wood has separated from her husband Geoffrey Durham, after 22 years of marriage.

The couple, who met when they worked together in the north of England in 1976, said they were splitting up "with great sadness".

Wood and Durham - otherwise known as the magician The Great Soprendo - were considered one of the strongest couples in UK showbusiness.

But in recent times they are said to have drifted apart.

Geoffrey Durham used to perform as The Great Soprendo

A spokesman said: "The separation is entirely amicable - there are no other parties involved. They have asked for their privacy to be respected."

The couple have two children, Grace and Henry.

Wood's career has gone from strength to strength since her early days on the comedy circuit and as a winner of the ITV talent show New Faces in 1973.

The 49-year-old is best known for her writing and performing partnership with Julie Walters.

They have performed together on and off on TV over the years but have also developed their own careers.

Stage

Walters has successfully gone into movies, such as Educating Rita and Billy Elliott.

Wood scored a big hit with the recent BBC sitcom Dinnerladies, which she wrote and starred in. Walters also had a part in the series.

Julie Walters has regularly appeared with Wood on TV

She also continues to tour with her sell-out stage show, in which she combines comedy with her other skills, singing and playing the piano.

Last year, Wood underwent emergency surgery to remove a growth from her womb, which forced her to cancel a number of gigs.

She has since incorporated talking about her illness and recovery into her stage show.

Entertainer Durham is a conjuror and stage performer, who used to call himself The Great Soprendo.

His has now dropped the stage name but continues performing and is currently on a tour of British theatres with his magic show.