Liz and Hugh announce split

Liz and Hugh in happier times

Celebrity couple Liz Hurley and Hugh Grant have split up after 13 years together, it has been announced.

A spokeswoman for the pair's production company Simian Films said they had decided to separate for a while.

"It is a temporary thing," she said.

"It is a mutual and amicable decision. They are to continue to run Simian Films together and they would like to stress that there are no third parties involved."

Grant, 40, the star of films like Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral, is currently filming Bridget Jones' Diary in London, while actress and model Hurley is due in New York later this month to begin shooting Double Whammy with comedian Denis Leary.

Split: Liz Hurley wearing that dress at Four Weddings and a Funeral premiere

They two have become one of the most photographed couples in the world.

Safety pins

They were first thrust into the media spotlight when Hurley, 34, wore a Versace dress held together by safety pins to the premiere of Four Weddings And A Funeral.

Since then she has often upstaged Grant when they have appeared in public together.

Their relationship hit an all-time low when Grant was arrested in Los Angeles in 1995 after being caught in a parked car committing a sexual act with prostitute Divine Brown.

He was subsequently fined $1,180 (£740), but the public humiliation almost drove Hurley away.

They stayed together, but Hurley revealed she felt like she'd "been shot" when she learned of his arrest.

Liz arrives at her home on Tuesday night with a mystery companion

She has since gone to be a success in her own right, securing a £12.5m modelling contract with Esteé Lauder and starring in the hugely successful Austin Powers films.

Her busy schedule, coupled with Grant's movie projects, has led to them spending more and more time apart and many believe this is the reason behind the split.

Hurley was staying tight-lipped when she arrived back at home near London's Earl's Court late Tuesday night on the arm of a mystery man.

Wearing a white fur effect jacket, white trousers and silver coloured sandals, she got out of a black cab and walked quickly to the house, refusing to answer reporters' questions about her separation from Grant.