The two are reduced to communicating through their hired help as their relationship is put to its greatest test.

It was an unusually candid confession in an otherwise meticulously stage-managed interview in which Victoria Beckham let the facade of her picture-perfect marriage slide. "Of course, getting into bed with David every night after having four kids," she sighed to US Harper’s Bazaar, "I've come to the conclusion that David is getting older as well… Maybe my tummy isn’t as tight as it used to be."

Setting aside the fact her husband is still one of the world’s most desirable men, and that she bounced back to her super-slim pre-baby shape almost immediately after giving birth nine months ago, it's a remarkable admission that the fire in the Beckhams’ fairytale romance has dimmed. While Posh, 37, may put the strain down to their hectic home life, their age or her figure, sources close to the family say it’s Victoria’s fixation with her fashion career that has dulled the passion between the pair.

"They’re living separate lives at this point," reveals one household insider, speaking exclusively to Woman’s Day. "She's become obsessed with her clothing line and all the praise she’s getting. The more successful she becomes, the more hours she spends at work and away from David. They’re sleeping at different hours and sometimes not even in the same bed. The house is split in half at the moment. He’s got his staff and she's got hers. Right now, they communicate mostly through their hired help. It's not good."

As the former Spice Girl spends long nights in her LA office, taking phone calls from clients in New York and holding Skype meetings with her team in London until 3am, David, 36, goes to bed when their children do and rises early for soccer training.

Read more about why David and Victoria's relationship is falling apart in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale Monday April 9, 2012.