Josie Gibson says it's 'love' with Stephen Mulhern as they're seen holding hands

TV favourites Stephen Mulhern and Josie Gibson have set tongues wagging with their affectionate display, captured as they were leaving a London TV studio. The duo, who were in town to shoot the season finale of Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, were seen hand-in-hand on Saturday, April 13.

Both Stephen and Josie featured in the poignant final episode of the beloved Saturday evening ITV programme, which aired its last show this past weekend. They were part of an illustrious guest list that included Simon Cowell, Davina McCall, Rylan Clark, Dermot O'Leary, and Girls Aloud, all of whom joined the post-show celebration.

Asked by MailOnline about the speculation surrounding their relationship, 39-year-old Josie openly declared: "I'm in love with Stephen Mulhern. There you go." That said, the West Country native conceded: "Story of my life, I don't think he loves me."

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Despite their longstanding camaraderie, 47-year-old Stephen and Josie have always presented themselves as just friends to the public. The single 39-year-old Josie even shared a clip of Stephen riding a tiny scooter on her Instagram story, highlighting their friendly rapport amidst the swirling gossip, reports OK Magazine.

Last year, Josie confessed she previously decided to get straight to the point with her feelings early on in a new relationship. Speaking with the Daily Star, she noted, "There is someone in my life at the moment but it's early stages...I've said I love you. It's best to just get it out of the way, I don't like playing games."

Josie first began dating her ex-partner Terry back in 2018, making their first public appearance together in May of that year. The couple planned their separate ways not long after Josie brought their son Reggie, now five, into the world.

She has, however, remained commendably upbeat about her relationship with Terry. This is thanks to their effective co-parenting arrangement.

Since her separation from Terry, some people were eager to link Josie romantically with ITV cameraman Sam Morter, especially after she posted a picture of the two of them sharing a moment in Paris last year.

But Josie was quick to quash such speculation, proudly stating once again that she is single, and clarifying further in an Instagram post: "I am not in a relationship, neither am I in love with cameraman Sam. I am not with Sam Morter.. I love Sam Morter, he is my work colleague, I'm like his older sister. I'm like his auntie. That's as far as it goes."

Stephen has kept his love life out of the limelight for over a decade, reflecting in a previous discussion with Celebs Now: "Last time I went on a date was about four years ago. That makes me sound really sad! I need a life. I need to stop working so much."