Vanessa Feltz admits it's 'impossible and agonising to find a decent bloke' but is still hopeful she'll find love again as her ex-fiancé Ben Ofoedu prepares to tie the knot with Vanessa Brown
The TV presenter, 63, previously dated singer Ben Ofoedu, 52, for 16 years, and they were set to get married, until reports of his infidelity were leaked to the press in 2023.
While she had a secret short-lived romance last year, Vanessa has been single ever since, now insisting it is 'impossible and agonising' to find someone new.
Reflecting on Jennifer Aniston 's new relationship with hunky hypnotist Jim Curtis, the broadcaster admitted it had been a 'beacon of hope' to her that she would also find love again.
DailyMail.com exclusively revealed last week that Jennifer, 56, spent the Fourth of July weekend with life coach Jim, 49, with snaps showing the couple packing on the PDA onboard a yacht.
Vanessa discussed the twice divorced actress' newfound happiness in her latest column for the Daily Express, where she lamented how tricky it was for women over the age of 45 to find a partner.
She wrote: 'It's so tough, impossible and agonising to find a decent bloke these days. The apps are hopeless. It's a dating desert out there.
'I loathe this lament but also can't deny that these days, finding a man to love and be loved by is a huge task once maturity has kicked in.
'If Jen has indeed landed her own Mr Darcy then she'll send a beacon of hope to the rest of us. Go girl!
In March, Vanessa admitted she doesn't enjoy being single and wishes she could be more like her friend and Loose Women panellist Linda Robson who loves the single life.
She also revealed she had a brief relationship last year that she kept out of the spotlight, but has 'been on my own the whole time since'.
She told Entertainment Daily: 'I was going out with someone last year that nobody found out about, that was quite good for about four and a half to five months - but with the exception of that, I've been on my own the whole time since and before.'
She added: 'I'm not happy being single, I don't like it. I'd like to be like my pal, Linda Robson, she's like: "I know I don't need a man. I'm not interested. They're in much more trouble than they're worth".'
Vanessa was previously married to ex-husband Michael from 1983 until they divorced in 2000, and they share daughters Allegra, 38, and Saskia, 35.
She was set to walk down the aisle for the second time with former Phats & Small singer Ben, before she was left devastated after discovering his infidelity.
She previously told of how she threw herself out of a moving taxi the moment he confessed to cheating, because she couldn't bear to hear another word.
In an interview, she said: 'My coat was torn. Blood was seeping from a cut on my arm. I assumed he would stop the cab and follow to see if I'd survived the leap. He didn't.'
However, their break-up, Ben spoke to MailOnline about how he felt the author had no interest in making their relationship official, alleging their 10-year age gap 'bred insecurity'.
He claimed in February last year that Vanessa only stayed with him to make her feel younger, saying: 'I gave myself to someone for a quarter of my life and ultimately I got nothing from it… it's absolutely heartbreaking.
'I met Vanessa when I was 34 and I lived 17 years in her life and it was all what she wanted.'
He explained: 'I was so in love but I felt like I was being strung along and she just wanted a bit of arm candy, whereas I wanted marriage and kids and real love.
'For her, I felt I was just a convenience. I was a cooler, younger guy that gave her a youthful appearance.'
And in an interview for The Dozen with Liam Tuffs podcast in April, Ben claimed he was told by friends and family that Vanessa has cheated on him.
He alleged: 'For the first six years, she was great. She has a way of emasculating. When she's had a drink she's quite aggressive.
'The way she used to shout at me, the way she used to speak about me, and speak to me, can you imagine what she would be like behind closed doors?'
Ben went onto claim that his 'whole personality changed' while he was in a relationship with Vanessa.
He added: 'There's a few things that I let slide, I was told twice that she'd been unfaithful to me, by members of her family and her best friend.'
While he also hit back at reports that he had been unfaithful to Vanessa, saying: 'This kind of love rat cheaty thing that everyone thinks that I am, I'm just so far from it.'
Ben announced in February that he was engaged to his new girlfriend Vanessa Brown, 29, after just one month of dating.
He popped the question during a holiday in New York, dropping to one knee in Central Park in a surprise proposal just before Valentine's Day.
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