Friends urge Denise to stay single

As Denise Van Outen splits up with her second boyfriend in less than two years, pals want her to focus on healing by spending time with loved ones

- Zara Zubeidi

It was a case of "the show must go on" for Denise Van Outen, who threw herself into work in the wake of her split from Jimmy Barba last week.

With the TV star confirming she and the property developer had "decided to part ways", Denise put on a brave face as she played a DJ set at a launch in London, before making an appearance on Steph's Packed Lunch in Leeds 48 hours later.

But behind closed doors, it's thought friends are rallying around the "heartbroken" presenter and urging her not to rush into another relationship as she navigates her second break-up in less than two years.

"Denise is trying to be strong but of course she's heartbroken," a source told new.

"She thought they'd go the distance but, unfortunately, she just couldn't get over what Eddie did to her and it bled into her relationship with Jimmy. She found it so hard to trust after everything that happened and it had a knock-on effect."

According to sources, Denise, 49, had endured "a rough few weeks" after deciding her relationship with Jimmy, 56, had run its course.

A source said it was "a really tough decision" because she was "so happy after all the drama and upset" caused by her cheating ex, Eddie Boxshall, who she discovered had sent X-rated messages to other women in January 2022.