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Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Denise Van Outen 'wary' of trusting new boyfriend despite being 'smitten'
EXCLUSIVE: Denise Van Outen has been unlucky in love in recent years, but after being spotted with new boyfriend Adam Butler at Glastonbury, a source has said Denise is smitten Her love life has been anything but smooth sailing over the past few years, but after Denise Van Outen went public with her new boyfriend Adam Butler at Glastonbury Festival, a source claims the former Big Breakfast presenter is 'taking it slow – but she's very happy'. Loved-up Denise was spotted holding hands with the businessman in the VIP area at the festival, where she surprised fans with a secret DJ gig. According to our source, Denise feels she's finally hit the mark with her new man. 'She's taking her time, but she's never felt happier and she feels this time she's got it right. Her friends and family can see she's in a really great place and are delighted for her. It's been really hard for Denise to trust again after her relationship with Eddie [Boxshall] – it was a big deal for her. 'She wanted to keep this new relationship quiet and not put it all out there, but people who know her can see how happy she is with Adam.' Denise, 51, told new last year that she felt 'liberated' as a single woman, but things have clearly changed as she couldn't have looked more delighted to be with her new love. Her blossoming romance comes after Denise's confession that she only took up golf in order to meet men, ditching dating apps and turning to the sport in 2014 after lots of her male friends had started playing. The TV presenter and DJ shares a daughter Betsy, 15, with theatre star Lee Mead, with the two divorcing in 2013. Denise told host Russell Kane on TUI's podcast Pack Your Bags, 'I got into it after my divorce, and I wanted to go somewhere where there are just loads of men. 'When you're young, you just go to a nightclub. And I was like, 'I just don't want to spend all night in the nightclub. Where have all the nightclubbers gone now?' 'And I looked, and most of my male friends have grown up and got into golf. I thought, 'Perfect.'' Rumours of a new romance began circulating in April after Adam joined Denise for a Maldives break. The pair were then spotted last month in the Akira Back restaurant at London's Mandarin Oriental hotel, following a series of dates. Prior to meeting Adam, Denise had dated property developer Jimmy Barba for 18 months, but she confirmed their break-up in November 2023. Last year, she admitted she had joined celebrity dating app Raya in the hopes of finding The One. So her new romance must be welcome after a tricky few years. Denise's relationship with fiancé Eddie Boxshall broke down in January 2022 after seven years, following revelations that he had been sexting other women. Denise confirmed the split on Instagram, stating she would 'always treasure the good times' but that it 'saddened' her to confirm the separation. She said later that she was prioritising her self-worth and self-respect. Our source continues, 'Denise was very hurt after the break-up with Eddie and it took her a long time to find her confidence in a relationship again. 'She's a tough cookie, but wears her heart on her sleeve, so when she's hurt by someone, it hits her hard and she puts her walls up, which most people can relate to. 'She's had a lot of support from good friends like Vanessa Feltz and Myleene Klass, and everyone has been rooting for her. 'Thankfully, she's feeling really happy and strong again, and she won't let her past experiences ruin things for her.' Last May, Denise told OK! magazine that she was entering her fifties feeling 'blessed' and that, after seven months of being single, she was 'really loving it'. She added that she'd never allowed herself 'breathing space' between relationships. She said, 'My parents have been married for 55 years and they've always been the benchmark for me when it comes to relationships. 'I hoped my love life would be like that, but obviously things have turned out differently. I'm OK with that. We live in a different age.' Admitting that she had always 'put everything' into romantic relationships, Denise said that she had changed. 'I'm older and wiser, and because I've had my fingers burnt a few times, I now know what I don't want.' Adding that she was enjoying going on dates, she said, 'I don't feel pressured to rush into anything. 'When the time's right, then I'll be ready to meet Mr Right. Until that happens, I'm just going to sit back and go with the flow.' Thanks to her new man, it seems Denise may just have found exactly what she wants, at exactly the right time.
Daily Mirror
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Denise Van Outen shares unlikely way to finding love after divorce
EXCLUSIVE: Singer and TV host, Denise Van Outen, said she took up golf after her divorce because she wanted to meet 'loads of men' and found most of her male pals had taken up the sport Denise Van Outen says she teed up the best way to find a new man - by taking up golf. The presenter and singer reveals she first took a punt on putting to bag a date. After divorcing, Denise saw it as a better option compared to dating sites and boozy nights out. 'The reason I got into it - this is the truth - it was after my divorce, and I wanted to go somewhere where there are just loads of men,' coughed Denise. 'I just went 'Where can I go?' - I remember being with my friend. "Because when you're young, you just go to a nightclub. And I was like 'I'm not going to be able to do that now, and I just don't want to spend all night in the nightclub'. I was like 'Where have all the nightclubbers gone?' And I looked, and most of my male friends have grown up and got into golf. I thought 'Perfect'.' Former Strictly runner-up, Denise, 51, also now a successful DJ, divorced Any Dream Will Do winner Lee Mead, with whom she has daughter Betsy, ten years ago. She is now reported to have a new businessman partner, Adam Butler, who joined her on holiday in the Maldives last month. She previously dated trader Eddie Boxshall and Italian property businessman Jimmy Barber, whom she split from in November last year after 18 months together. But she has retained her love for golf and is now keen to see more women take up golf, after being told her idea will spark a rush of women heading for the golf course. She said it is good to find a new passion later in life and told the Pack Your Bags podcast: 'We need more women playing golf. 'I've travelled with that and gone to some lovely places. I centre a lot of my holidays around either golf or DJing. I can play. I can hit a ball.' She said the 'most fun' course she has ever played was one in Barbados where players keep being brought cocktails by staff on buggies. Asked how that affects her performance, she said: 'It normally gets better and then it starts to really go downhill quite rapidly.' Following her split from Jimmy, Denise told the Mirror: 'This summer has probably been the most sort of hedonistic summer I've had since the 90s. I've had a lot of fun a lot of going out lot of drinking rosé wine in the summer and enjoying myself. But I'm good at knowing when to stop.' She previously opened up on how she was exploring new romantic possibilities after joining the celebrity dating app Raya. Denise said: 'I did connect with one massive Hollywood star. We had a little bit of the chat, but I don't live in LA, so I thought, he's not going to come to Chelmsford. 'I loved it [Raya]. I've made some friends. I go on dates. I'm not an angel. I'm out having a good time." But after hearing pals' experiences, Denise is in no rush to enter another relationship. She shared: "My friends in these long-term relationships are all moaning to me anyway. They say they don't have sex and argue all the time. They try to creep in at night when their other half's asleep in bed.' Denise added: 'I feel happier now than I used to, because I'm more content in myself. As we start to get older, you hear of people getting the illnesses. "I lost a friend when she was quite young. It made me realise it's more important to celebrate the fact you're still here and still able to enjoy yourself and do things.' Denise has had a rocky love life as she was married to performer Lee Mead but divorced in 2015, and she later dated Eddie Boxshall. In 2022, they broke up following allegations of illicit text exchanges with other women behind her back. She discovered love again with Jimmy, who appeared to have mended her broken heart, but they later split.
