Denise Van Outen splits from boyfriend Jimmy Barba after 18 months

Denise Van Outen has confirmed that she has split from her property developer boyfriend Jimmy Barba after 18 months of dating.

The Essex-born TV presenter was first introduced to Barba, 55, via mutual friend and All Saints singer Shaznay Lewis.

They then went public with their love in summer 2022, with a source telling OK! magazine at the time that she was "smitten" with him.

From that point on, they seemed inseparable, attending red carpet events, enjoying holidays, and sharing glimpses of their lives together on social media.

In recent weeks however, there has been a noticeable absence of joint posts, with Van Outen instead focusing on her busy work schedule, which includes DJing and presenting on Steph's Packed Lunch.

Now, she has revealed that she and Barba have ended their relationship, but insisted that they "remain great friends".

"We have decided to part ways, but we remain great friends, and our families and children are still in touch." she told The Sun.

Van Outen is not unfamiliar with heartache.

She split from previous boyfriend Eddie Boxall in 2022 following seven years of dating after she discovered that he had been exchanging explicit messages with other women.

Writing about it in her recent autobiography, A Bit Of Me: From Basildon To Broadway And Back, the Celebrity Gogglebox star revealed what is was that set off "alarm bells" for her. "Among photos was a screenshot…of a woman’s breasts – and they definitely weren’t mine!" she penned.

Adding: "Also, there was a flirty text exchange between Eddie and this woman, which, of course, set off alarm bells."

Prior to that, she was married to actor and singer Lee Mead for four years before splitting in 2013. They share a teenaged daughter together called Betsy.