Laguna Beach heart-throb Stephen Colletti got a warm welcome from a couple of local lovelies and fellow TV stars when he breezed into Toronto recently. Stacey Farber and Lauren Collins, who play Ellie Nash and Paige Michalchuk respectively in Canada's hugely popular Degrassi: The Next Generation series, willingly stepped up to the mark to make 20-year-old Stephen feel right at home.
But though he happily snuggled up to the Canadian cuties, any current girlfriend need have no fears about his discretion. "My dating life is okay, I'll just say that," he answered when asked if it's true that he's dating actress Hayden Panettiere, now that his Laguna Beach involvements with Kristin Cavallari and Lauren Conrad ('L.C.') are over.
Currently studying acting in Los Angeles, the Californian-born hunk was also reticent about his professional life, saying tantalisingly that he has some fresh roles in his sights, but not giving any more details.
His teenage years were eagerly followed by fans of the 'reality' TV show, which came in for some criticism about just how real it was, when it seemed that the TV cameras always happened to be in the right place at the right time for a storyline development.
However, Stephen, who took part in the first and second series but doesn't appear in the third, denies any manipulation. "The (camera crews) weren't with us 24-7. It was all suggested and guided - not scripted," he explains.
Photo: George Pimentel
