Vanessa Bauer has finally admitted that she is in a relationship with Joey Essex.
The professional skater, 26, said she was in a good place in her romantic life as she praised her beau, 33, saying that she is 'happier than ever'.
Sparks flew between Joey and Vanessa when they were first paired together for Dancing On Ice last autumn, with the professional skater now finally confirming their romance.
Speaking of her romance with Joey - which has long been rumoured since the pair appeared on Dancing On Ice together, Vanessa said: "Me and Joey, we're doing very good - we are doing really good at the moment."
Asked if she was romantically happy, Vanessa told: "I'm very happy."
Vanessa, who bagged the runner-up spot with Joey on the ITV skating show - went onto praise him for his hardwork and dedication throughout the series.
"Joey is a very serious guy behind closed doors, he worked so hard - it's been an incredible series," she told The Sun.
"We were close to winning but it was never about winning, we won anyway."
Much has been said about a romance between the pair after fans first spotted their chemistry during week one of Dancing On Ice.
The close bond they share was evident from their respective social media pages and even hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have quizzed them about their 'romance'.
Joey had always remained coy about their potential romance but during the final, he heaped praise on Vanessa publicly as the duo found themselves runner up on the show - with Nile Wilson and his professional partner Olivia taking home the trophy.
Speaking during the final, he explained how she was the perfect coach and spoke of their unbreakable bond as he thanked her, before adding: "She is the best. I couldn’t be anymore proud of myself and of her.."
It comes after Joey told The Mirror the pair clicked since day one.
"Me and Vanessa have a great bond, we've always gotten on well with each other since day one," he said.
"It's very special and I think it would be quite nice to see what’s going on in the outside because we're just mainly in the the ice rink to be honest.
"We’re taking it day by day."
Joey also admitted he had a deep care for his skating partner, adding: "At the start of the journey, I was like oh my gosh I don't want to drop you but now it's just like whatever let's do it, let's take risks! Obviously I care about Vanessa because she's a lovely girl.
"I don't want to drop her, but she's so used to being dropped. Nile's a gymnast so he knows how to fall and I know how to fall now. I got some injuries at the start but you learn how to fall and you learn how to be dropped."
