Denise Van Outen opened up about the reason she’s keeping her boyfriend a mystery, after living her life in the spotlight
Since bursting onto our TV screens in the early 90s, Denise Van Outen has lived a big chunk of her life in the glare of the spotlight. But, as she tells new, experience has taught her that sometimes it’s better to keep elements of her private life just that – including her new beau.
We’ve watched as the 51-year-old went from hosting The Big Breakfast alongside close friend Johnny Vaughn to seeing her name in lights in the West End, including her acclaimed stint in Chicago. She’s taken a very successful turn around the dance floor on Strictly, and even found time to narrate TOWIE in between DJing residencies and getting back into the recording studio.
That fame came at a price, however, as the Essex star – who shares daughter Betsy, 16, with her ex-husband, theatre actor Lee Mead – has dealt with her dating life being public knowledge for years. But with her latest relationship, she’s taking back her power.
After admitting she turned to dating apps last year, Denise revealed in January that she was quietly dating someone “outside of the industry”, and would be, for the most part, keeping schtum on their romance.
“I feel like I have to keep something for myself, I don’t need to overshare,” she tells New Magazine. “We live in a generation of oversharing because of smartphones. We know what everybody’s had for breakfast these days. I just feel like this is not for other people. That’s it, really.”
Denise’s previous romances have all played out in public. She was engaged to Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay before their split in 2001, after which she tied the knot with Any Dream Will Do star Lee.
She moved on with trader Eddie Boxshall, with whom she appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox, but their long-term relationship came to an end in 2022. Being forced to deal with heartbreak in the public eye has made her wary of her daughter’s potential future in the industry.
Speaking of whether Betsy could follow in the footsteps of her famous parents, she admits, “I have, for many years, tried to protect her from it. I didn’t want to be a pushy mum. Her dad and I said quite early on that if she shows a passion for it, we’ll support it, but let’s not be those pushy parents. Because nine times out of 10, if you do that with your kids when they’re really young, they can end up being resentful, because it’s not necessarily their passion.
“But Betsy actually loves it. She’s found it herself. She goes to a performing arts school locally. She even went to Sylvia Young [Theatre School] over Easter to do a course, which is where I went to school.
“So we’ll see. I encourage her but I’ll see what happens, because it’s a tough industry to be in. She knows the pitfalls, she’s seen it firsthand with both parents. She knows the highs and lows that come with it.”
Asked what area she could see her daughter excelling in, Denise smiles. “I really don’t know at this stage, but she’s got a really lovely singing voice.”
Speaking of music, Denise has found time in her busy schedule to inject her own brand of fun into the charts, with new single In The Evening, a reimagined, nu-disco cover of the track first recorded by Sheryl Lee Ralph in 1984. She’s thrilled to hear we’ve had it on repeat since its release.
“I wanted to do something that was a bit fun for summer,” she explains. “I’ve been on tour this year, doing my one-woman show, and most of the songs in that show are from musicals or are slow songs. I just thought, ‘I feel like I need a little pick-me-up!’ Because I DJ as well, it’s something I can play out that gets everyone dancing.
“The mood generally at the moment – although it’s lifted a bit because the sun’s come out – feels like we’ve had a lot of bad news as a country. Sometimes you need a happy distraction, and that’s what I wanted to create with this tune. So I’m glad people are liking it.”
When talk turns to an album, she teases, “Well, I’m going to work on more music, so watch this space. I’m in my 50s now, and people might think, why now? But I spent years with my daughter, being a hands-on mum, trying to juggle a career, be around, do school runs.
“When your kids get older, things change. My daughter’s just turned 16 – I’ve got more free time now to do things I’ve put on hold for years. It’s lovely to get in front of a mic again.”
Ever busy, Denise has also teamed up with Smart Energy GB to help spread awareness of how people can now monitor their energy use with a smart meter and inner home display (IHD), to show exactly what is being spent, instead of guessing. It’s a tool that’s already proving invaluable in the current cost of living crisis.
Having hosted consumer shows for Channel 4 in the past, Denise feels like the perfect person for the job. Explaining how more accurate information could help billpayers, she says, “If you go to smartenergygb.org , there are lots of answers for people.
“When we guess things, I think 90% of the time we get it wrong. I’ve been guilty of it. When you’re guessing, you’ve got that whole build-up of, ‘How much this is costing me?’, then the shock of the bill. Guessing creates anxiety – it’s just better to know the answer!”
Denise is working with Smart Energy GB to show how smart meters provide accurate bills, eliminating the need to “guesstimate” your energy spend.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
