Dermot O'Leary appeared to make a stunned 'dig' at James 'Arg' Argent as he opened up about his new relationship on This Morning. The former The Only Way is Essex star joined Dermot and co-host Holly Willoughby live in the studio on Wednesday (June 21).
He was on hand to chat about his lifestyle overhaul after losing over 14 stone since having a gastric sleeve fitted in 2021 and revealed that he is currently two years sober after battling drug and alcohol addictions.
But whilst on the famous sofa, the hosts couldn't help but ask the reality star about his love life and Arg, 35, couldn’t hide his smile when they mentioned 19-year-old Italian actress Stella Turian, who he met last summer while in Mykonos before striking up a romance.
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"You look at your life now and it’s all very positive, one reason is that your love life is fulfilled," Holly, 42, started by saying as Arg became a bit shy and coy while a selfie of him and his girlfriend appeared on the screen to viewers watching at home.
"She’s gorgeous," Holly remarked before Dermot, 50, chimed in with a cheeky joke, telling him: "You’re punching." Arg laughed off the comment and was quick to heap praise on his younger partner.
"Yes, I’ve got a new girlfriend," the beaming TV favourite confirmed. "She looks like young Sophia Loren or Monica Bellucci," he said, comparing her to iconic Italian actresses.
"She lives in northern Italy. She’s very special, she’s a great woman. God knows how I’ve done it!" he quipped. "I think she thought I was an English Michael Bublé, that’s what I tried to tell her anyway!" As Holly and Dermot laughed about the wedding singer's sell to Stella, Dermot quipped: "Arg... well done."
Stella, who currently still lives in Italy, attended Arg’s 35th birthday party at celebrity hotspot Sheesh in Essex last year, and the couple have enjoyed multiple holidays together in Venice and Marbella.
Earlier this year, Arg gushed over his girlfriend and said he is "very lucky". He told The Sun that he wooed Stella by serenading her with love songs and Mafia movie marathons in his Essex mansion before saying: "Stella is extremely intelligent, very talented and she’s fluent in four languages, including English, which is lucky, as my Italian’s not great, although it’s improving. And she’s beautiful, too.
"I feel very lucky. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind myself this is all really happening.” He revealed: “I’m lucky enough to have a home cinema — there have to be some perks to being in showbiz — and I’m obsessed with Mafia films, so I made her watch Goodfellas and some Sopranos and Casino too.” He said: “We’ve got an amazing connection. She is extremely supportive.
"And she knows everything there is to know about me. I’ve sat down with her and explained all the things that I’ve gone through in my life, the ups and downs I’ve had."
