Vanessa Feltz is dating again after 17 years on Celebs Go Dating (Picture: E4/Celebs Go Dating)
After a painful breakup earlier this year, Vanessa Feltz is dating again but that hasn’t been without tough moments, according to Celebs Go Dating expert Anna Williamson.
Vanessa, 61, announced in February that she and long-term fiance Ben Ofoedu had parted ways after he was involved in a cheating scandal.
The TV presenter has been slowly sharing how much that breach of trust really hurt her, previously calling herself ‘damaged and wounded’.
She had been engaged to Ben since 2006, and although the couple never tied the knot they had built a life together.
Heading back into the dating world after 17 years away from it was always going to be emotional but the star is set to broadcast that journey on Celebs Go Dating.
Dating expert and celebrity love guru Anna Williamson spoke exclusively to Metro.co.uk about Vanessa’s ‘rusty’ start to her dating journey.
Vanessa had a ‘rusty’ start to her Celebs Go Dating experience (Credits: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
It’s important to Anna to build trust with the celebrity clients (Picture: James Veysey/Shutterstock)
Calling this season an ‘absolute Bobby Dazzler’, Anna shared that the celebrities ‘jumped in with both feet’ this year, snogs a-plenty just a few days in.
The show sees single celebrities such as Adam Collard, Lottie Moss, and Chloe Burrows, dating normal people under the watchful eye of Anna and her fellow experts.
While there are plenty of eligible famous faces on the show, fans are especially looking out for Vanessa after her horrific breakup.
Anna shared: ‘She came in looking forward to it but naturally hesitant about what the dating world would lay in store for her.
‘Vanessa openly hasn’t dated in 17 years but she was ready and raring to go.’
The radio host might have been excited but the experience didn’t come without a little adjustment period.
The presenter was ‘raring to go’ on dates after her long relationship (Picture: Ricky Vigil M / Justin E Palmer/GC Images)
Vanessa split with Ben after discovering his infidelity (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)
‘When you haven’t dated for that amount of time, you’re gonna be a bit rusty and not really sure about who you’re after, what you’re after, and how to do it,’ continued Anna.
‘We were very aware as well that Vanessa has been very, very heartbroken and let down. We wanted to make sure that she felt supported and taken care of while also introducing her to dates and hopefully helping her find happiness.’
Vanessa teased on her Instagram that she had ended up going on three dates in one night in a speed dating evening on the E4 reality show.
In another post she said her first date after the painful split was indescribable, telling fans to ‘imagine’ how she was feeling.
Despite her nervousness, Anna was complimentary of the This Morning star saying helping the celebrities with their love lives was ‘the greatest privilege’.
She added: ‘We are genuinely there to help. We want people to be better daters. You want people to have worked on themselves because essentially every relationship starts with working on yourself first.’
Anna promised a ‘bobby dazzler’ of a season (Picture: Instagram/annawilliamsonofficial)
This year’s celebs are spicer than ever before says Anna (Picture: Instagram/celebsgodating)
The expert believes that it’s the time spent together that allows the stars to ‘drop their guards’ and let herself, Paul C Brunson, and newcomer Dr Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, into the ‘most private and painful parts of their life’.
Anna called the agency a ‘second home’, having been a resident relationship expert since 2019, declaring they’ll have to drag her off the show if she were to leave.
While the love guru is clearly thrilled about this season’s antics, fans will have to wait a little longer to see how Vanessa’s new chapter unfolds.
Anna hinted: ‘She really has gone through it on this series and I’m really excited for people to see how she ends [the show].’
Celebs Go Dating airs Sunday to Thursday at 9pm on E4, stream or catch up on Channel 4.
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Jumping back in wasn’t so easy.