Rylan Clark has addressed speculation that he is in a relationship with his friend and co-star Rob Rinder.
The presenter, 36, and broadcast barrister, 47, are hosts of the BBC Two travel show Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour. Their onscreen chemistry has sparked rumours of a romantic relationship, which both TV stars have denied.
Speaking about their close friendship, Clarke, who went through a divorce in 2021, said he and Rinder are “like a married couple”.
In a new interview with The Times, the former X Factor contestant shared that Rinder plays a prominent role in his daily life.
“Contrary to popular belief, Rob Rinder isn’t the first person I speak to but he is a very good friend of mine,” he said. “Everyone thinks we’re together and we are quite like a married couple: we spend lots of time in each other’s company and never have sex.”
The TV personality has previously detailed the mental health struggles he faced following the breakdown of his marriage to Big Brother star Dan Neal, whom he married in 2015 after meeting two years earlier.
“I lost my speech. I lost my vision for a little bit. It was like having a really bad stroke,” he told Jamie Laing on the Great Company podcast. “It was just so bizarre. And yeah, it took me months to go back to work.”
Clark, who said he would rarely take four hours off work, was forced to take a break of four to five months from his professional commitments as he recovered.
The Eurovision commentator said he regretted stopping work amid the fallout from his divorce, but had made peace with the fact that he had handled it “in a different way”.
“I see it as like a self destruct button, something in my mind was going to f*** up your seemingly perfect life,” he continued.
For others going through the same experience, Clark recommended reaching out for help sooner rather than later. “From someone who’s been through it. Hate to say bite the bullet, but it’s true,” he said.
