She’s had a turbulent five years since splitting from her husband of almost two decades, but Louise Redknapp is focusing on friendships this summer as she attempts to shake off the loneliness blues.
And the singer has especially been leaning on close pal Denise Van Outen over recent weeks, OK! can reveal. While her ex-husband Jamie has found lasting love with his wife Frida Andersson, Louise is still single and looking to get back out there.
A source close to Louise, 48, shared that Denise, who has been through her own romantic turmoil in the past, is helping her pal get back to her best again.
“They’ve been having a lot of fun and get on really really well, Louise is really appreciative of Denise’s support,” claimed the source.
They added, “Jamie is happy and married now so Louise can feel lonely. Denise has been through a public split and got the T-shirt so she gets it and wants to get Louise back to her best. Denise just wants to get Louise out and about. It’s about having some girl time and enjoying themselves so that Louise starts to feel really good again.”
Doing just that, the duo enjoyed a night out on the town as they headed to a London Pride nightclub bash in July. Denise also attended Flackstock, the music festival in memory of Caroline Flack, to support Louise as she performed during the event.
Louise shared a video from the gig with her 800k Instagram followers and Denise commented, “You were fantastic! I was down the front singing away. Loved your set.” While a joyful Louise responded, “Seeing you twice in one week [heart eyes emoji].”
Last year, Denise, 49, started dating her current boyfriend Jimmy Barba, but the presenter has been through her fair share of public heartbreak too. The star, who is mum to daughter Betsy, 13, called off her engagement with her partner of seven years Eddie Boxshall in January 2022 after he admitted to sexting other women behind her back. Now helping Louise through her lonely time, our source added, “Denise completely understands what it’s like.”
Louise, who shares two sons, Charley, 19, and Beau, 14, with Jamie, is thought to have remained single since their 2017 split. While her ex Jamie, 49, married Swedish-born model Frida, 38, in October 2021, a month before the couple welcomed their first child together, Raphael.
Previously noting the sports pundit’s new family as a reason for the lack of dates in her life, Louise said, “I’ve felt this as a mum and, to say this in the most sort of respectful way, my boys’ lives changed dramatically and then it changed again when obviously Jamie got married and had a family.” She continued, “[The children’s] life changed and I felt like I needed to be their one staple.”
The former Eternal singer blames taking part in Strictly Come Dancing for her divorce, writing in her 2021 book, You’ve Got This , of her regret. “If I’d done the show [ Strictly ] four years earlier, this wouldn’t have happened. I wouldn’t have walked away from my marriage,” she wrote.
Louise has admitted to feeling “lonely” in the past following her split from Jamie, noticing the absence during lockdown in 2020. “I think the longer [Covid] goes on the more we panic about jobs and for me it can be quite lonely.”
But now, it appears that Louise is in the space to date again. “I’m just open to what may happen, I’m not actively out there looking, it’s not my number one goal in life,” she shared.
“But if it goes that way and I met somebody who swept me off my feet and was amazing and kind and great, then I’d be so open to exploring that, but no, I’m not downloading apps, well, not at the minute.”
While she waits for Mr Right to come along, Louise is focusing on the positives as she enjoys quality time with friends and falls back in love with performing.
She has been hitting the stage at a number of festivals and gigs throughout the summer, with pals supporting from the sidelines. And having recently released her Greatest Hits album, the star won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
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