Nicole Kidman reveals why being 'forced into being alone' helped her find love

She has been with her husband for 15 years – but Nicole Kidman says she still cherishes the time she spent as a single woman.

The actress, 54, revealed in a new interview that going through a period where she was alone, following her split from first husband Tom Cruise in 2001, was invaluable preparation for her second marriage.

Speaking to the Daily Mail's You magazine, the mother-of-four said: "I like sharing my life. I’ve always been like that. At 14 I had a boyfriend because I didn’t want to be alone."

She continued: "I went through a period where I was forced into being alone. But that was almost like a portal to go through, where you don’t just jump from one thing to another, you’re actually there, living it.

"And I came out of it much more available [mentally, to meet someone]."

In 2006, Kidman married the Australian singer Keith Urban, 53, who she had met at an event the previous year.

The star, who suffered a dangerous ectopic pregnancy during her first marriage, also recalled in the interview how she had assumed the pair wouldn't be able to have children, noting that their chance stood at just one per cent.

However, she gave birth aged 41 to daughter Sunday, and another daughter, Faith, arrived by surrogate two years later.

The star also shares adoptive daughter Isabella, 28, and son Connor, 26, with ex Cruise, who she had married in 1990.

In a recent interview with Marie Claire Australia the actress, who is currently appearing in drama series Nine Perfect Strangers, opened up about how her fertility struggles ultimately meant she couldn't have any more children.

Kidman explained: "I wish I’d had more children, but I wasn’t given that choice.

She added: “I would’ve loved 10 kids.”

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