Our two children are the only ones among their close friends to come from a broken home. Of course they have rough patches or get irritated by their spouses but they have stuck it out. Having so much time without them goes against my every instinct as a mother

All my friends seem to have strong marriages I can’t imagine any of them splitting up. The effects on us and more importantly our children are colossal. He has the children every other weekend and on Thursday nights I try to relish the free time but actually I miss them. Yes, I have times when I wonder if I made the right decision.

My ex-husband was a complex character but perhaps I gave up on relationships too easily. The bearded 49-year-old’s election as Iran’s president last summer took millions of Iranians, as well as the rest of the world, by surprise. Since then he has caused outrage by demanding that Israel be “wiped off the map”, questioning the historical authenticity of the Holocaust, and saying that if Europe and America wanted to atone by giving the Jews a homeland, it should be on their territory: “Why should the innocent nation of Palestine pay for this crime?”. If anyone embodies the reason why the nuclear showdown with Iran sends shivers through Western capitals, let alone the country’s Arab neighbours, it is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The depth of our catalogue is extraordinary.”BIOGRAPHYBORN: 21 October 1956.EDUCATION: Bolton School; University of Newcastle – BA in economics.CAREER1977-79: musician.1979-80: production controller, Multiple Sound Distributors.1980-81: production manager, Logo Records.1981-82: manager, new release administration, RCA.1982 to now: EMI – working his way up from production controller, via catalogue marketing manager and numerous other posts, to become head of recorded music for the UK and Ireland.Other positions: chairman of the Brit Awards; trustee of the Sound Foundation, EMI’s charity to fund music projects and specialist schools..

“Who could have predicted their success? On paper, it looked unlikely.”EMI is looking to increase its investment in its artists, says Wadsworth. “If we grow our UK business, it doesn’t just stay here: it has a multiplier effect around the world. Quality and innovation mean long-term sales – that’s good business. If you judge by these factors, you won’t go far wrong.” He cites the huge success of “cartoon” band Gorillaz, co-founded by Blur’s Damon Albarn. “I like to nurture our artists and people: that adds value.” This sense of encouragement derives, he believes, from his own upbringing.Wadsworth places great faith in his A&R teams and believes you cannot be led only by research “The market moves on too quickly. We try to be aware of the market but to give priority to quality and creativity. “If you’re going to change – and the music industry has faced radical change – then the only way is to bring the organisation with you.”He tells employees there is no limit to what they can achieve.

“I’ve got people around me who all started doing different things,” he says. “It was a good deal.”Wadsworth is a natural front man himself He likes to be visible to his staff and communicative. “By the time the deal was finally negotiated, everyone was in the same place.” EMI’s price remains secret, though reports suggest the deal is worth up to £80m.Wadsworth is keen to highlight EMI’s role in Williams’ success. “To become the biggest superstar outside the US, you have to accept that the record company has been a good part of that,” he says. When they didn’t get it, they said Williams was finished.”Robbie Williams stayed with EMI, Wadsworth believes, because it had done “a brilliant job” and the relationship worked “It was not because we offered the most money. “For its pure size, this deal was the boldest thing I’ve been involved in All our rivals wanted it.