Michael van Gerwen believes the ‘stress’ of his messy divorce is behind his remarkable body transformation – with the darts star shedding four-and-a-half stone in the wake of his split.Van Gerwen, 37, a three-time world champion, confirmed back in May last year that he and partner Daphne had separated after more than ten years of marriage.Daphne announced in December that she had fallen pregnant with her new boyfriend, Robert, after their new relationship ‘overlapped’ with her marriage to van Gerwen.Robert later admitted that he had ‘pulled a trick’ on his old friend, with van Gerwen saying ‘I’m just human, you know. At some point, you want to think about nice things again, not just be preoccupied with the mess you’re experiencing at that moment. The pair, who began dating in 2008 and tied the knot in 2014, have two children together – Mike and Zoe – and the Dutchman spent a period of time away from the oche as he attempted to deal with his new reality.The Dutchman has returned to the sport, showing off a slimmed-down new look. He told fans on a recent live stream that the divorce played a major role in his weight loss.’How much weight did I lose? 28 kilos,’ he said. Michael van Gerwen has credited his dramatic weight loss to his divorce from his ex-wife Michael van Gerwen with Spurs cult hero Heurelho Gomes after shedding weight Van Gerwen and ex-wife Daphne (left) split after 10 years together’I used to always eat after the darts when I went back. I used to eat badly all the time. I never do it anymore.’And guys, to lose weight, very good, very good. I have some very good advice: just divorce. That’s so much stress. Doesn’t matter. Easy.’He also revealed that he has never been a beer drinker, preferring wine.He added: ‘I don’t mind a good glass of wine, guys. I never drink beer in my life. It’s disgusting.’But a good glass of wine, especially with a nice dinner when you’re with friends and things like that, I think it’s really nice.’In an interview last year, Robert confirmed he and Daphne had known each other ‘for a long time’ and had ‘always clicked’ before the start of their relationship. ‘That’s when the spark ignited,’ Robert told Shownieuws. ‘It wasn’t the intention but it happened. ‘We didn’t want to offend anyone, let me be clear about that. We didn’t want to hurt anyone, not Michael, not anyone. It happened. It turned out a little differently than expected.’Daphne added: ‘But not everything that’s been posted online is true.’I just want to say that (Robert) had already broken up with his ex (when the pair started their relationship).’ Van Gerwen’s ex-wife Daphne Govers and her boyfriend Robert broke their silence in an interview on Dutch televisionDaphne did confirm that she believed that she was friends with her ex-husband, while Robert stressed that he has ‘respect’ for Van Gerwen, meeting the darts player often due to the custody arrangement for his two children Zoe and Mike. ‘I find it difficult,’ Robert added. ‘Of course, I pulled that trick on him, and I’m not proud of it. ‘But hey, I chose my own happiness, and he’s welcome here.’ The interview also saw Daphne share details about the ‘miracle’ child she and her new boyfriend are set to welcome in January – eight months after her May separation. ‘I didn’t expect it. I was at the hospital with the other two, too,’ Daphne said. ‘I couldn’t have gotten pregnant naturally. If it does happen, it’ll be a miracle.’My world was completely turned upside down. How am I going to handle this? But in the end, it all worked out. It’s more than welcome.’When asked about how van Gerwen feels about the pregnancy, she replied: ‘I wouldn’t dare say. I don’t think very happy, but I really don’t know.’