Stephen Mulhern was left less than impressed when quizzed about the whispers of a romance with Josie Gibson on This Morning.
The telly fave, 47, lost his cool after Ben Shephard cheekily nudged at the rumours that have been swirling since Stephen and Josie, 39, were spotted getting close outside ITV’s studios before the finale of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
The pair had been snapped hand-in-hand, looking snug as a bug, which naturally set tongues wagging. Ben couldn’t resist a dig while introducing an ASMR bit, just as Stephen was lovingly caressing bubble wrap over his mug, saying: “I’m having the time of my life.”
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Seizing the moment, Ben teased: “Is that because he’s dating one of the family? Is that what it is? ” Given that Josie is a regular face on This Morning, the jibe hit home. Stephen retorted sharply: “Oh shut your face!”. Then Cat, Ben’s co-host, jumped in with: “We couldn’t let you go without… Josie,” to which Ben added, “The picture says it all.”
(Image: ITV)
Clearly ruffled, Stephen insisted to the ITV duo: “Listen, she didn’t show up to rehearsals, I held her hand and I showed her where to stand. That is it! “. In spite of the widespread speculation that a clandestine romance is underway between Stephen and Josie, The former Big Brother winner recently put all rumours to rest in an interview with OK! Magazine.
(Image: ITV)
She made it crystal clear that their relationship is purely platonic: “Stephen? Oh, he’s so lovely. We are really good friends, I really adore him, but there’s no romance in the air. But he’s so nice.” Josie continued, expressing her frustration over inaccurate tabloid stories: “Every bloke that I come in contact with, the press seems to think that I’m having it off with them.
“People must think I’m a right goer. I’m not like that. To be with somebody or to even kiss somebody, I’ve really got to love them. I’ve really got to really be into them. I can’t give my energy over when I’m not completely into it. You know when you get that magic connection? For me it only comes around like once every seven years or eight years. I love the love because those are very, very special [moments] when you find them.”
(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
On the other hand, Stephen remains tight-lipped regarding his love life, although he previously dated EastEnders actress Emma Barton, famously known as Honey Mitchell, back in 2008. The couple grew close during a pantomime performance of Snow White in Birmingham, but the relationship ended in 2011.
In 2018, Stephen confessed to Celebs Now that he hadn’t been on a date “in four years”, lamenting, “That makes me sound really sad! I need a life. I need to stop working so much.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
