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They have been together for nearly half a century.

But Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson has admitted his 47-year marriage to wife Kay was almost ruined due to his bad behaviour.

And the 67-year-old claimed it was a lack of faith that caused him to drink too much and act in a way that nearly drove his other half over the edge.

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Spitting feathers: Miss Kaye revealed husband Phil Robertson’s antics almost ruined their marriage in an interview on Extra

In an interview on Extra his wife, who is known as Miss Kay on the show, said: ‘He had about 10 hard years.’

But her impressively bearded husband jumped in to tell Maria Menounos: ‘(It’s) Because there was no Jesus.’

The couple started dating in 1964, when Kay was only 14 years old. They married two years later, in 1966.

His wife then went into more detail about the antics that had their union under strain.

She said: ‘He didn’t act nice like he does now, especially when he was drinking.

‘He was real selfish and didn’t want to be responsible.’

ZZ Top man: Since finding religion the bearded hunting mogul has been the perfect family patriarch

However the hunting mogul also blamed the culture of the day for his wildman ways.

College football star Phil, who turned down the opportunity to play quarterback in the NFL as it would interfere with duck hunting, said: ‘I was following the ways of the world. I was raised in the ‘60s.

‘She was patient, she waited for me to turn.’

It was a tough time though, as after spells as a teacher and a fisherman, he started abusing alcohol when he ran a bar, and would even periodically throw his wife and children out of the house.

He was even getting into trouble with the law, and would hide in the woods to evade the authorities.

Eventually Phil found God and turned his life around, and it was worth the wait as they went on to have four children together, Alan, Jase, Willie, and Jep.

They are also multi-millionaires due to the success of his Duck Commander Company, which he formed in 1973 to sell the duck call he invented a year earlier.

A quacking time: Maria Menounos also got the chance to try out one of Phil’s famous duck calls

She’s done this before: Novice Maria looked like an expert as she blew Phil’s famous instrument

He began his business in a dilapidated shed, where he spent quarter of a century making duck calls from Louisiana cedar trees.

And it was their third son Willie Robertson, now CEO of the company, who expanded the family business into the multi-million dollar enterprise featured on the hit A&E show.

Phil also revealed has revealed a note on his headboard is one of the reasons the couple have stayed together for almost 50 years.

The bearded business mogul said he wrote the message to his good lady – with a little prompting – and it reminds him every day how much he cares for his high school sweetheart.

In an interview She stood over me and said. ‘Do you love me?’ and I said yes and she said, ‘Write it down.’ So I scribbled, ‘Miss Kay, I love you. I always have and I always will.’