Joey Essex’s professional partner, Vanessa Bauer, has been the subject of romance rumours since the show’s debut two weeks ago.
After the former Towie star’s first performance on Sunday night, in which he gushed over his ‘beautiful’ trainer in a VT promoting their training sessions, tongues began to wag.
‘There’s some flirtation going on. Vanessa is single, and I am single…,’ Joey informed the cameras.
Joey appeared to confirm rumours by saying both parties are ‘taking things easy’ when he appeared on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday to discuss the gossip around himself and Vanessa.
‘The reality is, I’m single, Vanessa’s single, we go to the ice rink every day,’ he said to broadcasters Susanna Reid and Ed Balls. It’s cold, you have to keep each other warm, and that’s basically all there is to it.’

Reid then probed: ‘But it sounds like you’re not single and she’s not single? It sounds like you’re both together.’
Joey initially continued to downplay rumours and replied: ‘No comment, I can’t confirm. We are both single.’
He then added: ‘We’re taking it slow, it’s all good.’

When Lorraine Kelly questioned Joey about his alleged connection with Vanessa, he remained tight-lipped.
‘I mean she’s a great partner,’ he said. ‘She is beautiful and she’s a lovely girl and we get on really well. It’s nice to be with someone who… we literally spend so much time together on the ice. It’s just nice to be happy.’
Joey and Vanessa received a very respectable 27 for their maiden skate, which saw him glide across the ice with ease to Robbie Williams’ Mack The Knife.