Mel B and Stephen Belafonte tried therapy to work things out

A source said: "They started from the beginning when they realised they were very different people, who would argue and row. Their personalities were like fire and ice, one minute it was pure adoration and the next it was an all-out war.

"It led to them having blow-out arguments non-stop. However, as they got further down the line, the stress of keeping things together proved too much. The therapy prompted more fights and bitterness. Their connection by the end was all but burned out."

And the tragic death of Mel's father Martin is said to have given the 41-year-old singer - who shares Madison, five, with Stephen - "a moment of complete clarity" and helped her make the decision to file for divorce.

The insider added to the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Ever since they got married, they have been plagued with problems. The writing has been on the wall for a while. Money was at the centre of many rows but Martin’s passing provided a moment of complete clarity for Mel.

"For the first time in a decade, she decided to put blood before water. Stephen was always coming up with business ideas which caused huge ¬arguments. It is no secret her family didn’t like him and now she has reconnected with them, Mel is sorting out her life. She’s had enough of the chaos with Stephen. Her, the kids and her family come first."