Denise Van Outen has revealed she is dating someone new, choosing to keep the relationship private for the first time. The 51-year-old presenter discussed her personal life, family, and upcoming projects in a recent interview. She also shared details about reconciling with former co-host Johnny Vaughan for a new TV venture.
Denise Van Outen, known for her work on The Big Breakfast, opened up about her love life in an exclusive interview. She confirmed she has been single since her split from dancer Jimmy Barba in October 2023 and is now dating a new partner outside the entertainment industry. "I’ve not talked about it yet," she said. "But, yes, I am dating someone. And for the first time in my life, I have made the decision to keep it private." Van Outen described her partner as uninterested in publicity, calling him "Mr Anonymous," a contrast to past relationships with figures like Jamiroquai's Jay Kay and actor Lee Mead, with whom she shares a 15-year-old daughter, Betsy, from their marriage that ended in 2013.
Betsy, who turns 16 in May, has approved of her mother's new partner. Van Outen praised her daughter's perceptiveness: "She reads people very well – better than I do sometimes." The teenager is pursuing interests in performing arts, including solos in her school show and a summer course at Sylvia Young Theatre School, an institution Van Outen attended as a youth.
Professionally, Van Outen is launching An Evening With Denise Van Outen: Songs, Stories & All That Jazz, a touring show where she will share career anecdotes, including her time working with Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber on Tell Me On A Sunday in 2003. She also revealed a secret TV project with Johnny Vaughan, her former Big Breakfast co-host. Their friendship, which strained in 1999 over contract negotiations, has since mended post-pandemic. "We’re great friends again – you just grow up," she noted.
Van Outen reflected on past experiences, such as supporting Jessie Buckley on the 2008 BBC show I'd Do Anything, where Buckley placed second. With Betsy gaining independence, Van Outen feels freer to focus on her career, including potential West End returns.
