Brian McFadden and Vogue Williams have split.

The couple - who wed in 2012 - have chosen to end their marriage but say they will always remain friends.

The model and television personality took to Twitter to announce the news, writing: ''It is with sadness that Brian and I have made the tough decision to go our separate ways.

''We will always care greatly about each other, remain friends and wish each other all the very best for the future.

''We have nothing else to say on the subject and we would like to thank our friends and family for their support during this difficult period. Vogue x''

Brian, too, shared an identical message on the microblogging site.

It will come as a surprise to fans of the couple after the former Westlife singer branded Vogue his ''soulmate'' only weeks ago.

He said at the time: ''We instantly clicked and talked non-stop for eight hours the night we met and I proposed after eight months. Within three weeks she moved to Australia to be with me. Although it was a whirlwind romance, it was just so right from the beginning, so we knew it would work.

''Meeting her was a life changer for me - she's my soulmate. Getting married hasn't changed anything - it was perfect anyway - but it has made us both feel quite grown-up. We like nothing better than just staying in and spending time together as a couple when we're not working.''