
Denise Van Outen has 'never felt happier' with new boyfriend Adam Butler after their first public appearance at Glastonbury following tumultuous romantic past
The Big Breakfast star, 51, delighted fans at Worthy Farm with a secret DJ set, where she was spotted with the businessman 'in the VIP area'.
'She was holding hands with Adam and they looked like a couple of loved up teenagers,' a source told The Sun.
'Denise was smiling and laughing at his jokes and he was taking real care of her, making sure that other boozy revellers didn't crash into their path.'
It's understood that Denise is 'very happy' with her new man following a string of failed romances.
An insider told New! magazine: 'She's taking her time, but she's never felt happier and she feels this time she's got it right.
'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.'
MailOnline has contacted Denise's representative for comment.
Rumours of her new romance began circulating in April after Adam joined Denise for a romantic Maldives getaway.
The pair were then spotted last month in the Akira Back restaurant at London's Mandarin Oriental hotel, following a series of dates.
The reports of her blossoming romance come after Denise opened up about her dating struggles following her split from Jimmy.
She has been single since splitting from Jimmy Barba in October 2023 and joined exclusive dating app Raya last year in the hopes of finding love again.
But she admitted at the time that she relies on dating apps to meet men as finding potential suitors has become harder since moving to the countryside.
Prior to this, she dated Eddie Boxshall, who she was with together for 18 months before finding out he had been unfaithful to her (Eddie and Denise pictured together in 2015 in London)
And in a interview, she admitted that without dating app Raya, she wouldn't have much of a love life as meeting guys 'in real life' is not as easy while living in rural Kent.
She told The Sun: 'Actually, for me, dating apps are a really good thing. I don't know how else I would meet people if I wasn't doing that.'
'When I was younger, there was the option to go out, but now I live in the country, it's not like I'm able to just go to the pub,' she added.
'Even if I went to my local, they're all my neighbours who I know anyway, so that's of no value to me.'
Detailing how her only chance of meeting potential matches 'in real life' is online, she hinted that she has come across some celebrity suitors on exclusive dating app Raya.
'I'm still on my Raya dating app, I've gone on quite a few dates with different people, I've seen so many celebrities [on Raya], but you aren't allowed to say who is on there,' she teased.
The former Big Breakfast host noted that while it's 'really fun' to use the app, she has awkwardly often found herself paired with one of her mates.
She said she hasn't really been active on Raya over the winter months, but with summer fast approaching, she plans to change that, quipping: 'Watch this space.'
The performer said being a single mother to her daughter Betsy, 14 - who she shares with ex-husband Lee Mead - makes it harder to meet new people as she can't go out at night.
Even when she is out DJing, Denise said she is 'in and out' of the venue and 'doesn't hang around', lessening her chance of sparking up a romance with anyone there.
However, she was seemingly keen to get back into the dating pool again after revealing she wasn't 'fussed' about being in a relationship last year.
While she has been on a few dates, she said she wasn't putting pressure on herself to find a new partner because she's very content with her own company these days.
Referencing the end of her engagement to Eddie, who she split from in January 2022 after discovering he had been unfaithful, she told Fabulous magazine: 'I'm not fussed either way now.
'I'm really good friends with Tamzin Outhwaite and we were saying: ''Isn't it nice to actually just be loving life and not feel pressured to have to be in a relationship or be with someone?'' I've learned to be on my own and be content.
'This industry can feel pressurised, and then when things go wrong, it's so public. You worry that people see you as a failure.
'I wonder if people say: ''Why can't she hold down a relationship? History keeps repeating itself'', but I'm not chasing it now.'
She added that her relationship with Eddie only got cut short because of what she discovered he had done, admitting that was the 'sad part' of the break-up.
Denise said she was 'back to square one' but was trying to keep a 'positive outlook' and 'have an open heart'.
After her devastating split from Eddie, Denise found love again with Jimmy Barba in July 2022, but they split after 18 months together.
A look back at Denise Van Outen's love life
Jay Kay (1998-2001)
Denise, who narrates The Only Way Is Essex, dated Jamiroquai lead singer Jay Kay, 52, for three years from 1998 to 2001.
The TV personality, 47, enjoyed a highly-publicised relationship with the Jamiroquai bandmember, 52, before they 'painfully' called it quits back in 2001.
Denise even wrote about him in her new autobiography A Bit Of Me, and he claimed they called off their plans to marry due to 'conflicting' jobs at the time.
Nick Moran (2001)
After Jay, there was a brief rebound fling with Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels actor Nick Moran.
One onlooker observed of one of their date nights: 'They were like a pair of magnets - stuck together all night. They were kissing and cuddling like love-struck kids.'
Yet their relationship wasn't meant to be and the two stars split up shortly after they first began dating.
Richard Traviss (2003-2005)
Following this, Denise dated nightclub owner Richard Traviss from 2003 until 2005, with the couple even becoming engaged during their romance.
During their relationship the couple were hit by cheating claims when a lapdancer penned a kiss and tell claiming to have slept with Richard in 2003 - claims that he and Denise denied.
Despite this the couple called it quits two years later but on good terms, with Denise telling ES Magazine: 'We're still talking and we're still great mates.'
Lee Mead (2007-2013)
Denise first walked down the aisle to wed her daughter Betsy's father Lee Mead, 40, however they separated four years later in 2013.
Denise married Lee in the Seychelles in 2009, after meeting on the 2007 TV show Any Dream Will Do where she was a judge and he was a contestant. They welcomed Betsy in 2010.
Denise confirmed they had parted ways in June 2013 - just six months after being named the runner-up on Strictly's tenth series.
Eddie Boxshall (2015-2022)
Denise began dating commodities trader Eddie Boxshall in 2015 and while the couple were never formally engaged they had announced they planned to marry.
She split from Eddie in January 2022 after he was caught having phone sex with other women, with Eddie later admitting he sent up to 20 sext messages behind Denise's back.
Eddie said he feels ashamed and 'deeply regrets' sending the messages and said he contacted his presenter ex-girlfriend many times to apologise but she did not want to reconcile their relationship.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Times
2 hours ago
- Times
Donor ‘shocked' as national library excludes gender-critical book
Scotland's national librarian is facing mounting pressure to reinstate a gender-critical book which she banned from a major exhibition, after a key donor joined a revolt against the move. Alex Graham, who has given around £300,000 to the library, said he had been 'shocked and angry' to learn that The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht had been excluded from an exhibit that he personally supported with a donation of about £20,000. Graham, the creator of the television show Who Do You Think You Are, urged Amina Shah, Scotland's chief librarian and the chief executive of the National Library of Scotland, to reverse her decision. He said that if she did not, he would have to consider whether or not to continue to provide lucrative donations to the library, as he has done for the past 12 years. The critically acclaimed book, a collection of essays by more than 30 women about their role in the feminist campaign against Nicola Sturgeon's gender self-ID law, was set to be included in its Dear Library exhibition, after it was nominated by several members of the public. However, The Times revealed on Wednesday that it was pulled after a backlash by the library's internal LGBT staff network, which claimed it contained 'hate speech' and that displaying it would cause 'severe harm' to workers. They threatened to 'notify LGBT+ partners of the library's endorsement of the book' if management did not cave in. Shah justified the decision by citing the potential impact on 'key stakeholders' and the library's reputation if the gender-critical book was included, but has faced intense opposition after her ban was made public. In a major intervention, Graham called on the library to admit its mistake and reinstate the book to Dear Library, which Shah had publicly thanked him for his role in funding. He said that if it did not, he would have no option but to publicly disassociate himself from the campaign, saying the library had given in to what he claimed was a 'censorious, bullying culture' instead of standing up for ideals of free speech. The book's editors, Lucy Hunter Blackburn and Susan Dalgety, have branded the removal of their work 'cowardly and anti-democratic' and repeated their call for the decision to be reversed. 'I think this was a fundamental mistake and the correct thing for the library to do would be to put up their hands, admit that and reinstate the book,' Graham said. 'Instead, there have been weaselly responses. 'The library is not saying they have taken it out because it contains hate speech, because it does not. They've taken it out because of some ill-conceived notion that someone might be upset by its presence. That's not a good enough reason for me.' Graham added: 'This is not about taking one side or the other on the trans debate. It's about the principles of open debate and free speech, which to the national library should be sacrosanct. 'It isn't too late to redeem the situation. But if there is not a change of heart, I feel I will have no choice but to publicly dissociate myself from the exhibition and the campaign that surrounds it. 'This stupid escapade does not undo the very good work the library does, but it should never have happened. 'I couldn't say definitely that I will not donate any more money if they stick to their guns on this, but it has certainly given me pause for thought. That makes me incredibly sad.' Shah, who last year received a salary of between £105,000 and £110,000 in addition to pension contributions of £41,000, decided to exclude the book with the support of Sir Drummond Bone, the chairman of the National Library of Scotland (NLS). An insider within the cultural sector in Scotland said the decision was symptomatic of a wider trend of managers being seen to cave in to demands of young, activist staff members who have little resilience or tolerance of views different to their own. Graham became a major donor to the NLS as he credited free access to books at Cambuslang public library in his childhood as shaping his life and allowing him to go on to pursue a highly successful career in television. He sold his television company, Wall to Wall, in which he purchased a 33 per cent share for £1 in 1987, for about £25 million two decades later. Although the library receives the bulk of its funding from the Scottish government, private donors such as Graham, who has been repeatedly acknowledged by the library for his philanthropy, are also essential to its work. Graham has been one of the library's major donors over the past decade, funding major projects such as the digitisation of medieval manuscripts. He funds a scholarship at the library which is named in his honour, as is a room at the National Library of Scotland's moving image library at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow. Graham's generosity in supporting the centenary celebrations was singled out for praise by Shah at the launch of the Dear Library exhibition in June. Graham said he was initially impressed with it, before discovering that The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht, which included a contribution from JK Rowling, had been excluded. 'On the opening night of the exhibition, I thought it was fantastic, because I found at least two books in there that I consider to be among the worst ever written,' Graham said. 'I said to Amina I thought that was great, because the whole point was that while some people are inspired by a book, others will hate it. That's the joy of the society we live in and the freedom that we have. 'There are books that are beyond the pale, but there are very few of them. You need to be very careful before you ban anything. 'This book [The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht] was clearly selected to be included, and frankly the management were then bullied out of that by a staff lobby group. 'They say they've removed this book to protect relationships with stakeholders. But they certainly didn't consult me and if they had, I would have voiced strong opposition. I am angry and disappointed at the decision to remove the book as well as the implication that as a stakeholder, I am somehow supportive of it, which I am not.' Kate Forbes, the deputy first minister, has found herself at the centre of a similar row after staff and performers at Edinburgh's Summerhall arts venue criticised her views on trans rights. Summerhall's bosses said Forbes had been permitted to speak at the venue as 'an oversight' after some of the artists set up a 'safe room' while the 5ft 2in politician was present as they were 'terrified' because of her opinions. A whistleblower who works within the arts sector in Scotland said that activist staff members were becoming increasingly powerful within major publicly funded institutions. 'I have been in so many meetings where it is just taken as a given that everyone there is in lockstep on these issues — that everyone hates JK Rowling and that books like The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht are dangerous and harmful,' a source claimed. 'The internal LGBT networks are given carte blanche and it is very isolating to those of us who do not agree with their extreme views, who are forced to self-censor or face, at best, being socially ostracised at work. 'It sounds ridiculous but those of us who don't agree with them feel like we're in an underground network like the French resistance or something, secretly sending each other supportive messages.' The insider added: 'A major part of the problem across the cultural sector is the infantilisation of younger staff members, who can't cope with any type of conflict or opposition to their views. 'This has now led to the ridiculous situation where people intolerant of ideas and books are not only working in our national library, but are calling the shots. Management are terrified and pander to them every time they have a tantrum.' The NLS has sought to defend its decision not to platform the book at its exhibition by claiming there were only 200 spaces for public display, and it received more than 500 nominations. However, documents released under a freedom of information request show that all books with two or more nominations were initially to be included in the public display, with the Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht obtaining four. Joanna Cherry, the former SNP MP and one of the essayists in the book, accused Shah of attempting to mislead her own staff with a message that claimed the library was not 'banning or censoring' books. Although the library does hold a copy of the book — a legal obligation given its statutory role — its exclusion from the Dear Library exhibition was the direct result of complaints from the LGBT staff network who did not like its contents, the documents show. 'I'm concerned that the librarian seems to be misleading her staff as well as the public and the media about what has occurred here,' Cherry said. 'The issue is not whether the book is available within the library's collections but her decision to withdraw it from an exhibition where it had rightly earned its place because of the prejudiced demands of a small group of her staff.' Cherry added: 'There is an increasing pattern in Scottish society where zealots masquerading as LGBTQ+ activists seek to censor women who want to talk about their rights. 'This book was written by feminists, survivors and lesbians. To remove it from an exhibition is not only an attack on freedom of expression, it is also discriminatory.' Hunter Blackburn said: 'We are very saddened that it has come to this, but we understand why Mr Graham has reached what must have been a very difficult decision for him. 'We will continue to seek for this to be resolved by the library making an unreserved apology, putting the book back in the exhibition where it won its rightful place, and, it becomes increasingly clear, undertaking a root-and-branch review of its internal culture and practices.' A spokeswoman for the NLS said: 'We are engaged in a robust and respectful conversation with Mr Graham about this matter, and we will accept his decision regardless of the outcome. 'It goes without saying we are indebted to Mr Graham for his support to the national library over the years. His assistance has helped us to preserve collections, reach new audiences and give young people's careers that much needed start through our apprenticeship programme.'


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
British viewers are not sufficiently 'classy' to enjoy Meghan's Netflix series and are 'too cynical' unlike Americans: Incendiary claim of Harry's friend revealed by RICHARD EDEN... and he doesn't stop there!
Described by British television critics variously as 'an exercise in narcissism' and 'toe-curlingly unlovable TV', the Duchess of Sussex 's series With Love, Meghan provoked much mockery among Netflix viewers. As the American streaming giant prepares to broadcast a second series of the lifestyle and cookery show, one of the Duke of Sussex 's old friends has spoken out about why the British failed to take the series to their hearts.


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Truth about the mile-high monster: Millionaire threatened a stewardess with gang rape. Now our special report reveals six convictions, where he got his cash and what friends say about his VERY different two wives...
As the sun set over central London on Thursday evening, some of Britain's most high profile Pakistanis gathered for a glittering event at a five-star hotel. They were there in Westminster to attend the Pakistani Achievement Awards, an annual black tie gala, now in its 15th year, which celebrates the myriad triumphs of the community and announces the year's 'power 100' list.