Former TOWIE star Lydia Bright poses with her new boyfriend Lee Cronin - see the exclusive pictures

Lydia Bright has posed for her first photoshoot with her new boyfriend in HELLO! magazine. The former TOWIE star and Lee Cronin have been dating for 18 months but have previously kept their relationship to themselves. "When we first got together I was adamant that I wanted to stay private," Lee tells HELLO! when we join them for lunch at Lydia's mum Debbie's home with the whole family, who are celebrating their new reality podcast The Brights. "But as time's gone on I've realised it's impossible. So now I'm embracing it."

The couple met last summer at an Ibiza nightclub and their holiday romance soon turned into a proper relationship. Lee, 32, moved into 28-year-old Lydia's Essex home in January and are in the process of buying their first home together.

Both are sure they have found 'the one'. Lydia tells the magazine: "After we met we were together constantly. I've never been like this before, but I wanted to cancel jobs to spend more time with him – and I'm usually all about work. For the first month we basically sacked everything off. There was no happy medium. We were in such a bubble – with each other all day, every day. It was so intense."

MORE: Lydia Bright and mum Debbie talk family life growing up

"We've had talks about marriage and having a family. We want to get in the house first, get settled – but they are our future plans, definitely," Lee adds. "When you know, you know. When me and Lyd met we clicked so well in every way. We're so close. Often things fizzle out, but not with us. And we're together a lot."

The whole family – Lydia, Lee, mum Debbie, dad Dave and siblings Georgia, Freddie and Romana - are excited about their new project. "I've always wanted to do something with my family; I just wasn't sure what. My dad still doesn't really know what it is, though. He keeps calling it an iPod."