Chantelle Houghton, the 2006 winner of the UK's 'Big Brother,' has announced she has found love with a new partner after a two-year period of celibacy. The television personality shared details of her new relationship on the "We Need To Talk" podcast, describing her new boyfriend as "the love of my life."
Houghton, 42, revealed that she had not dated or been intimate with anyone for several years prior to meeting her current partner, stating she hadn't met anyone she was attracted to. She characterized her first date with her new partner as "exciting" and "easy," noting a sense of comfort and security in the relationship.
"I know how much he loves me, I feel it, I literally feel it, I've never had that before that feeling of pure love, I've never had it," Houghton said on the podcast.
Reflecting on her past marriage to singer Preston, whom she met on 'Big Brother,' Houghton admitted that they "should never have married." The couple were together for a year after meeting on the show and divorced less than a year after their wedding. Houghton suggested that in real life, outside the context of the show, they would not have been attracted to each other.
"We should never have got married, like it should have been what it was. But you know what, we were young, we were on this crazy ride of Big Brother," she explained. Houghton described their divorce as amicable, stating there was no animosity between them following their separation.
Her past relationships include a previous engagement to Alex Reid, with whom she shares a daughter, and a relationship with former 'Crimewatch' host Rav Wilding. Houghton has also been open about her struggles with bulimia and body dysmorphia, which she attributes in part to the pressures of public life. She has spoken about using eating as a coping mechanism during difficult periods, leading to significant weight fluctuations. Houghton has recently focused on improving her relationship with food and her overall well-being.