Nick Knowles has ruled out a romance with Gemma Oaten in order to focus on his marriage.
The 53-year-old presenter split from his wife Jessica, 28, in January but says the pair have become close again while co-parenting their two-year-old son Eddie.
He told the Daily Mirror: "Gemma and I are not dating. We went on a date. The nature of my work means it’s very difficult to go on a date without everybody making a much bigger deal of it.
"She’s a lovely girl but I’m not in a place at the moment where I am looking to date anybody.
"I have a relationship with Jessica and we are best friends. We are working through things.
"We treat our relationship and parenting as the most important thing in our lives.
"We’ve had a really difficult year, but through all of the difficulties Jessica stayed my best friend and we’re still deeply close."
Nick’s comments come after he and former ‘Emmerdale’ star Gemma were spotted cuddling outside the TV Choice Awards bash at London’s Dorchester hotel earlier this month.
Gemma, 32, rested her head on Nick’s chest as they looked at his phone, while the pair were also spotted smoking cigarettes together and chatting in the street.
Speaking previously about her split from Nick, Jessica said: "If Nick met someone and was happy, I’d be happy. I have so much respect and time for him."
What’s more, Jessica – who revealed in July she had cervical cancer – credited Nick with saving her life after he made her visit her doctor.
She said, too, that despite their split, Nick has remained a supportive influence in her life.
Jessica shared: "He’s still there for me but it’s hard. I’m really sad we split."
Nick Knowles rules out Gemma Oaten romance
