Quentin Crisp once said that, men get laid, but women get screwed, but that now seems to be the reverse for singer/songwriter Billy Joel as, after just 5 years of marriage, and on all accounts not being laid very often, he’s screwed!

Once again, another middle aged man, who clearly doesn’t see the same reflection looking back at him in the mirror as the rest of the world see’s has come unstuck after marrying a girl of 22 when he was 55, and is now, as they say, repenting at leisure.

Joel’s third wife, Katie Lee, now 27, increasingly found the 33 year age difference in the marriage a stumbling block. Coupled with the tartan slippers, a mug of ‘pre bed’ cocoa, the fact that a visit to the drug store was for antacid pills and not condoms or pregnancy tests kits, and finding Joel was getting up at 6.00 am as she was arriving home from a night in the city, were not congenial to a long and happy marriage. After all, marrying at 55, who can expect a long marriage at the best of times?

The couple today released a statement claiming they are ‘caring friends’ and a spokesperson denied a third party was involved in the break-down of their relationship, despite the fact that Katie has been spending time with Israeli-born fashion designer Yigal Azrouel, the source insists their decision to separate was ‘absolutely unrelated’.

Joel has never been known for selecting the ‘right’ wife, as back in 1973 he married his business manager, Elizabeth Weber Small, but amid allegations that her brother, Frank Weber, had been embezzling almost all of Joel’s savings, the couple divorced in 1982.

Billy’s next attempt at marriage came in the form of the union of the Beauty and the Beast when he managed to croon his way into the life of uptown girl, supermodel, Christie Brinkley in 1985. Once again, the sleeping beauty awoke in 1994 to realize she really had married a beast, and yet another divorce ensued.

But to date, Joel’s biggest farce in the marital stakes must have been during the days of his mid life crisis when he choose Katie as his life’s partner, a girl who only had three years on his daughter with Brinkley, Alexa Ray, who at the time was just 18 years old.

When Katie and Joel married in 2004, Miss Brinkley gave her blessing to the marriage and doubtlessly laughed all the way home and began checking the days off her, ‘lets see how long this one lasts’ calendar!!!