It’s been five months since their bombshell split after seven years together, and while Denise Van Outen and Eddie Boxshall’s war of words has been rumbling on publicly, last week tensions appeared to have settled down as Eddie spoke about the “deep regret” he feels over his “sexting”.
“I hurt Denise, I broke her trust and I’m deeply sorry. I deeply regret that I sent those messages,” Eddie, 49, revealed.
“I’ve tried to apologise to Denise. I’ve sent her untold messages on text, on email, saying that I love her and that I’m sorry for what I’ve done, and that I’m embarrassed and I’m ashamed.”
At the time, a heartbroken Denise, who turned 48 last week, revealed how she had discovered a series of X-rated messages to three other women – dating back three years – on Eddie’s iPad, as well as a picture of another woman’s breasts.
The TV presenter also found selfies of DJ Eddie alongside a mystery woman in a bar on the day he had supposedly been attending a business meeting in London.
Denise, who shares 11-year-old daughter Betsy with ex-husband Lee Mead, said she had been left “in pain and shock”, and Eddie admitted she had kicked him out of the Essex home they shared since 2019 after a bust-up in January.
During a radio interview in March, Denise added, “I don’t like to be taken advantage of… I just feel like it’s really important as a woman to have self-worth and self-respect.”
However, following Eddie’s confession last weekend, insiders say Denise has been taken aback by his honesty and evident sadness over their split.
One reveals, “Denise is feeling truly torn over the situation as she’s been lonely without Eddie.
“When she discovered what he’d done, she immediately assumed the worst, but now, hearing Eddie’s confession, she can see how gutted he is to have lost her – and it’s pulling at her heartstrings.”
Since their acrimonious split, the former couple have only interacted through swipes at each other in interviews and on social media.
Denise pulled back the release date of her autobiography – A Bit Of Me: From Basildon To Broadway And Back – in order to share the details and her feelings over the split with fans, including the moment she had discovered the cheating and contacted the “other” woman, who had confirmed their conversations had become “sexual in nature”.
At the time, she wrote, “To me, sexual chats and continued communication over a long period of time amount to cheating.
“Especially when it’s done from a home I’d strived to build for us as a family. A home that Eddie found and I bought for us… I thought we had the perfect life.”
It was also revealed last week how Gogglebox producers have given the go-ahead for Eddie’s spot on the sofa to be taken by Denise’s close friend, singer Duncan James, during filming for the Channel 4 show that had boosted Eddie’s own fame.
Meanwhile, Eddie took to Instagram to share a series of unsubtle digs, including one post which read, “I’d rather be alone than be with someone who makes me feel lonely.”
However, after Eddie, who said he “turned to alcohol” for a time, admitted that Denise has so far refused to have any contact with him, the source says he felt that telling his side of the story publicly was his last hope of a reconciliation.
They add, “Eddie is trying to win back Denise by publicly declaring everything he did. It’s the only way he knows to get through to her since she won’t return his calls.”
But after Closer recently revealed how Denise has been leaning on her close group of female pals for support and advice, the insider says her confidantes are now begging her not to let Eddie back in her life.
The source says, “Denise has been warned by her friends not to let him back in her life – the trust has been broken and they don’t think it can be repaired. They’re cheering her up and keeping her busy, reminding her that her life is much better off without him and she really deserves someone who treats her right.”