United Kingdom, March 26 -- Josh Duhamel felt like he was in Fergie's "shadow" during their marriage.

The 53-year-old actor has opened up about his relationship with 50-year-old pop star ex Fergie - with whom he has 12-year-old son Axl - before they separated in 2017 after eight years of marriage, and he admitted he struggle over "whose star [was] bigger" at the time.

He told the Megyn Kelly Show: "It's probably my own ego more than anything.

"I don't think it bugged her as much as it probably did me. But she was a massive star at the time!"

Josh added that he felt like he was "in her shadow a lot of the time".

The couple tied the knot in 2009, which was the same year Fergie's group the Black Eyed Peas topped the charts with I Gotta ...