Denise Van Outen and her boyfriend Eddie Boxshall have spoken for the first time about their relationship in an exclusive interview and photoshoot with Hello! magazine. And the television host tells the magazine that she and City guy Eddie, who works in the oil market, are incredibly similar. Speaking during a romantic break to a game reserve in the Sabi Sabi Private Game reserve inside Kruger National Park, Denise tells Hello!: “Eddie and I are so similar that friends have described us as the male and female versions of each other. We’re both very active, love the outdoors and are at an age when we want to make the most of whatever opportunities come our way. I enjoy being with Eddie so much that I don’t need other people around. All my best times with him are when it’s just the two of us.”
Denise Van Outen with boyfriend Eddie Boxshall
In the interview Denise, 42, recalls how she and Eddie, 44 – who have been together for three years - were set up on their first date by a mutual friend. “I’m a bit old-fashioned about dating and have never been on Tinder or anything like that,” Denise revealed. “When I found myself single and just about to turn 40, I didn’t want to be on my mobile, swiping left and all that business. Constantly talking on a phone and messaging each other is a waste of time; you might as well go and meet that person and you’ll know within the first half hour if it will work or not. With Eddie I knew within ten minutes – we just clicked.”
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Eddie also reveals that he wasn’t told he would be on a date with a celebrity before meeting Denise for the first time. “All I’d been told was that I would be meeting a woman called Denise; I had no idea it was Denise Van Outen. When I saw that it was her, it came as a surprise – a lovely one. “But I felt very relaxed in her company and the conversation just flowed. To be honest, it was an advantage not knowing too much about her career because it meant there was even more for me to find out about her. The chemistry, for me, was definitely there and I couldn’t wait to see her again.”
To read more of the interview with Denise and Eddie, pick up the latest issue of Hello! magazine, on sale now.