Denise Van Outen has revealed she has a ‘lot of love’ for her former co-star Johnny Vaughan after they mended their friendship.
Speaking to Annie O’Leary and Wendy Golledge on the Sweat, Snot and Tears podcast, the West End star, 46, said the two are even in talks about working on new projects together.
Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast launched in the early 90s and Denise and Johnny joined the show in 1997, where they became friends.
You’ve got a friend in me! Denise Van Outen has revealed she has a ‘lot of love’ for her former co-star Johnny Vaughan after they mended their friendship (pictured together in 1997)
Denise said the pair had been ‘on and off as friends’ over the years but didn’t give specific reasons for the fallout.
It’s been reported that tensions between the hosts grew as the TOWIE narrator claimed he went behind her back to renegotiate his contract.
Yet, after revealing earlier this year that they were no longer feuding, Denise elaborated: ‘We have been speaking a lot recently. We’ve been on and off as friends for years for various reasons.
‘A lot my friends that’s never happened with, but I think just ours had combined career and work. When it’s a work thing it’s different.
‘I’ve got a lot of love for him’: Speaking on the Sweat, Snot and Tears podcast, the WestEnd star, 46, said the two are in talks about working on new projects together
The TV personality added that the pair were ready to work with each other again adding there was still a ‘lot of love’ between the two.
She added: ‘I’ve got a lot of love for him as a person, as a friend, and I’m sure he feels the same.
‘And we’ve started sort of talking again and we’ve started thinking of maybe some little ideas, so you never know.’
Denise left the show in 1998, only to return in 2000 for one last time before the show ended for good in 2002.
Back in January, Denise admitted she and Johnny had been feuding for 20 years but put their differences aside amid the pandemic.
She told The Mirror: ‘Johnny and I have had a bit of a rocky relationship over the years for various reasons and, funnily enough, we’ve messaged a lot in lockdown.
‘These situations make you reflect and realise some of the silly niggles and arguments you have are just not worth it.’
The mother-of-one spoke candidly about their much publicised fallout for the first time on Loose Women in 2017.
Matchless chemistry: The hosts fronted the Channel 4 programme from September 1997 until January 2001 (pictured in 1997)
Denise revealed at the time: ‘I had a big fallout with Johnny Vaughan when we worked on The Big Breakfast and at that time we were like brother and sister. We were best friends, unbreakable.
‘The whole relationship fell apart when we started to renegotiate our contracts because I always felt we worked together as a team and that’s how it should be. We created it together.
‘Not just us but the rest of the team working on the show. I always had that mentality that it was about all of us. But Johnny and I know there are other influences involved, and agents and everything — but he was negotiating separately from me.
‘I found out and obviously confronted him and I realised then at that point that our friendship had gone in two different directions and for me it was tarnished. That’s why I left the show because I knew at that point that it would never be the same.’
United: Denise reflected on seeing the ‘horrible side’ of last year which was full of ‘tears and heartache,’ while declaring that the three lockdowns brought her family closer together
The news comes after Denise spent the last year reflecting on the highs and lows of the pandemic.
Earlier this month, she reflected on seeing the ‘horrible side’ of last year which was full of ‘tears and heartache,’ while nevertheless declaring that the three lockdowns brought her family closer together.
She has been spending the pandemic at home in Essex with her boyfriend Eddie Boxshall and her daughter Betsy, 10.
She said to The Mirror: ‘We’ve had both sides of it, the horrible side where there was a lot of tears and a lot of heartache, then the plus side of it, it’s been the most time that we’ve spent together.
‘Both Eddie and I said we’ve been surprised at how well we’ve got on, we’ve not had any arguments or fall outs.
‘So we feel like we’re very lucky because I’ve had other friends who’ve come out of lockdown and they’re filing for divorces and trying to find somewhere else to live.’
She expressed gratitude for the time spent with her partner, who also has a son and daughter from a previous marriage.
Meanwhile Denise shares her daughter with fellow thespian and ex-husband Lee Mead.
Ex: Her partner of seven years has a son and daughter from a previous marriage meanwhile Denise shares her daughter with fellow thespian and ex-husband Lee Mead (pictured in 2010)