She’s been lapping up the Los Angeles sunshine on a romantic break with her boyfriend James Green – and pals say Lisa Armstrong is happier than ever as her career and love life are soaring.
According to insiders, Lisa, 45, has introduced dad-of-two James to her US pals, and rumours are growing of a secret proposal. Meanwhile, a series of work meetings have seen her rubbing shoulders with the elite of Hollywood’s make-up world.
A source says, “Lisa’s in high demand right now. Her work on Strictly, as well as her tough-talking stint as a judge on Glow Up [the UK make-up talent show that also aired in the US on Netflix], and the success of her new cosmetics line, has caught the eye of many Hollywood players who are keen to work with her.
“She’s also very loved up with James, and she’s enjoyed mixing work with pleasure while on their holiday. She’s excited about how things are shaping up, both in her work life and her love life, too.”
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Now, as Lisa and James continue to plan their future together and consider buying a second home in California, pals believe an engagement announcement is imminent.
The source adds, “Their friends wouldn’t be surprised if there was an exciting announcement soon, and they suspect James may have proposed in LA during their romantic break. Lisa has said she would love to get married on the beach in Malibu, as it’s one of her favourite places in the world. She’s told James she would love for a beach wedding and he’s hinted at a holiday proposal, which of course makes her very happy and brings her joy.
“LA holds a special place in her heart as it helped her heal, and she truly believes it was a trip there that helped to rebuild her after her divorce, and put her in the right headspace to fall in love again.”
Lisa – who described LA as her “happy place” in an idyllic beach snap from their holiday – has come a long way since her devastating marriage breakdown from Ant McPartlin in January 2018. Their toxic split, after 23 years together and 11 years of marriage, left her “heartbroken” and was blighted by angry tweets.
Just six months after their shock divorce announcement, she upped sticks to LA when Ant’s romance with her former pal and their PA, Anne-Marie Corbett, went public – leaving her feeling “betrayed” as she told one fan on Twitter, “To think she was MY friend.”
During her 2018 escape, she was snapped puffing on cigarettes as she was consoled by pals – a far cry from her latest trip where she’s been showing off her glowing tan, new svelte figure and beaming smile alongside James, 37.
Check out: the most shocking celebrity splits
Most shocking breakups of the decade - slider
1 of 30Louise and Jamie Redknapp
They were the British A-list couple that we thought would last but the world was stunned in July 2017 when Louise and Jamie Redknapp confirmed they'd split after 19 years together. Months later Louise opened up about the end of her marriage and following the end of the Redknapp marriage, it was reported that celebrities were refusing to sign up to the BBC show because of the Strictly curse.
2 of 30Cheryl and Ashley Cole
Cheryl and Ashley Cole first met in 2004 and quickly became an A-list couple. Two years later they tied the knot in an extravagant wedding. However, in 2010 following cheating allegations that were splashed across the media, Chez split from her footballer husband.
3 of 30Lisa Armstrong and Ant McPartlin
Lisa Armstrong and Ant McPartlin had been together for 23 years and married for 11 but in January 2018, the TV presenter confirmed he was filing for divorce following his rehab stint.However after a drink driving arrest, a second visit to rehab and liking a lot of shady tweets – the pair officially divorced nine months after splitting.
4 of 30Lenny Henry and Dawn French
At the beginning of the decade, Dawn French and Lenny Henry announced they were splitting after 25 years of marriage.
5 of 30Paul and Alex Hollywood
Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood and his wife Alex split after 20 years together. They'd previously split in 2013 after the GBBO star had an affair with his American co-star but they managed to patch things over and make things work. For a while.
6 of 30Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
We still can't believe Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split in 2016 after ten years together and two years marriage. The couple are parents to six children; Maddox, 18, Shiloh, 13, Pax, 16, Zahara, 14, Vivienne, 11, and Knox, 11. Even George Clooney was stunned at the news; well, to be fair he did find out during an interview.
7 of 30Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green
We thought they'd be a real-life Romeo and Juliet (minus the death) but Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green called it quits after being married for three years. We weren't the only ones who thought they were a power couple; remember when Craig Lawson joked he'd be the next Pro Green and Millie with Camilla Thurlow? Yeah, that didn't last.
8 of 30Bruce and Kris Jenner
They're the head of the Kardashian/Jenner household but in 2013 the world was shocked when Bruce and Kris Jenner announced they had separated after 23 years of marriage. A year later, Kris filed for divorce and cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason. A month after their divorce was finalised, Bruce publicly came out as a transgender woman – Caitlyn.
9 of 30Katy Perry and Russell Brand
One of the most heart-breaking celebrity break ups was definitely Katy Perry and Russell Brand, after all, she found out their 14-month marriage ended via TEXT. Their entire split was shown on her documentary Part of Me and remarkably Katy still performed on stage just hours after Russell announced he wanted to end their marriage.
10 of 30Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom had only known each other for three weeks before they tied the knot. Yes, really. They lasted four years before the Keeping Up with The Kardashians star filed for divorce. However, in 2015 she withdrew the file after Lamar suffered a drug overdose and she had to take control of his health decisions. There were reports that the pair would reunite but in 2016 their divorce was finalised.
11 of 30Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries
Kim appeared to have followed in the footsteps as her younger sister Khloe when she got engaged to Kris Humphries after just seven months. She documented her 'dream' wedding on Keeping Up with The Kardashians but their relationship didn't last and they split just 72 DAYS after their wedding. Their breakup was also documented on their show.
12 of 30Stormzy and Maya Jama
We're still devastated about Stormzy and Maya Jama splitting, tbh. They were the dream team and had been together for four years – despite being very private they appeared in Vogue magazine together and the grime artist dedicated a song to her. However in August 2019 they called it quits and the TV presenter unfollowed him on Instagram.
13 of 30Seal and Heidi Klum
Seal and Heidi Klum renewed their wedding vows every year on their anniversary however after a seven-year marriage they called it quits. The A-list couple are parents to four children; Leni (who Heidi had from a previous relationship, but Seal adopted) and during their relationship they also welcomed Henry, Johan and Lou into the world.
14 of 30Gary Lucy and Natasha Gray
After dating for 10 years and then being married for four, Gary Lucy and Natasha Gray called time on their marriage. The pair confirmed the news in a statement saying, "This was a very difficult decision, but was reached mutually and amicably. No other parties are involved."
15 of 30Liam Payne and Cheryl
We're pretty sure the world was shocked when Liam Payne and Cheryl announced they were dating. However they then went on to welcome baby Bear Grey Payne into the world and despite breakup rumours they posed together at the Brit Awards in 2018. Unfortunately a few months later – and a total of two years together - they split.
16 of 30Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy
This break up is still a bit weird and we're not really sure why it happened because – spoiler alert – they're not real people. Anyways, in 2015 the puppets announced the end of their relationship in a lengthy statement.
17 of 30Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick
Another KUWTK break up – this one more surprising than the others – was Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick. The pair had been together for nine years and during that time they welcomed Mason, Penelope and Reign. They'd split a few times throughout their relationship – which included Scott doing to rehab and cheating allegations. However in 2015 they split for good.
18 of 30Cheryl and Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini
Cheryl literally surprised the world when she announced on Instagram that she had eloped with Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini after three months of dating. The pair seemed totally in love until Cheryl raised concerns among fans after losing a lot of weight and slammed any split rumours by revealing her father in law had died. Unfortunately their romance wasn't to last and after 18 months of marriage they split.
19 of 30Perrie Edwards and Zayn Malik
Little Mix's Perri Edwards and One Direction's Zayn Malik were X Factor sweethearts. They supported each other's career, posted adorable snaps and even got a puppy together. The singers then got engaged but two years later – following cheating accusations and after Zayn quit One Direction – it came to light that he ended their relationship. While she claimed he dumped her via text, he denied it.
20 of 30Adele and Simon Konecki
She's notoriously private with her life but in 2019 is came to light that Adele and her husband Simon Konecki had split. Awhopping £145m is the figure being talked about in relation to their divorce. In 2012 they welcomed their only child into the world – Angelo.
21 of 30Chris Pratt and Anna Faris
Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced they were splitting back in 2018 and a few months later their divorce was finalised. At the time they released a statement, saying: "We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed. "Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward."They went on to say they "still have love for each other".
22 of 30Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan
Step Up stars Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan called it quits after being married for eight years. At the time they insisted they'd "lovingly chosen to separate as a couple". During their relationship they welcomed their daughter Everly into the world.
23 of 30Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk
We were devastated in June 2019 when one of the hottest A-list couples – Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk – split after four years together. Apparently the parents to their daughter Lea De Seine hadn't "been good for a few months".
24 of 30Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes dated for seven years and were married for six but in 2012 it came to light that she had filed for divorce. He later spoke out and admitted he "did not expect" the turn of events.
25 of 30Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
Friends star Jennifer Aniston and her husband Justin Theroux called it quits after being married for two years. At the time they said the "decision was mutual and loving" and it appeared to be the truth because a year later to paid tribute to his ex-wife to celebrate her 50th birthday.
26 of 30Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom
Victoria's Secret model and Hollywood actor Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom broke up after six years together. After being married for three years they announced they'd been "amicably separated for the past few months" before confirming their relationship had ended.
27 of 30Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth lived a real-life story after falling in love on the set of The Last Song. However after four years together they split. They were then on/off but decided to call it quits AGAIN after eight years together. Their relationship didn't end there though because they reunited and got married but eight months after their wedding they split again.
28 of 30Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
Another couple who took the world by surprise were Twilightstars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. They met on the set of the vampire phenomenon back in 2009 and fell in love. While we all thought it would last, it didn't. Their relationship hit a rough patch in 2012 when Kristen's affair with her married director Rupert Sanders was exposed by paparazzi. Robert forgave her and they tried to make it work but they split a few months later.
29 of 30Fergie and Josh Duhamel
After eight years together Fergie and Josh Duhamel announced their split. Fast forward two years and Fergie filed for divorce.
30 of 30Matt Leblanc and Aurora Mulligan
In news that shocked Friends fans the world over, In February 2022 it was reported that Matt LeBlanc - best known for playing Joey Tribbiani on the show – had split from his girlfriend of six years, Top Gear producer Aurora Mulligan.
A source adds, “Just a few years ago, Lisa’s life was turned upside down and she wondered if she would ever smile again – now she’s the happiest she’s ever been. Even though she’s been on a romantic break with James, she’s had some great work meetings and proposals, and they’ve been the icing on the cake.”
One of Lisa’s best friends is her former Deuce bandmate Craig Robert Young, who’s an actor living in LA, and insiders say he’s been singing her praises to many of his industry exec pals and colleagues, including Gigi Williams who headed up the make-up department on his 2020 movie, Manc.
“Gigi is one of Hollywood’s biggest make-up artists and has worked with a string of A-listers including Mariah Carey, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Aniston,” adds the insider. “She was really excited to meet Lisa and discuss potentially working together on some upcoming projects, which Lisa is keen to do as she focuses on taking her career to the next level and taking on Hollywood – every make-up artist’s dream.
“After her split from Ant, Lisa was in such a bad place that all she wanted to do was run away and hide from everyone and everything. But since finding love with James and moving into her new house in west London, she’s been given a new lease of life. She knows it would be impossible for the pair of them to move to LA permanently, given he has two children living here, but he loves it there too, and has agreed he’d be up for spending more time there.
“They’ve even been looking at houses on the beach and James is really keen on the idea of spending holidays there with the kids, so they can enjoy the Californian lifestyle, too.”
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After spending Christmas with James’ children, pals told Closer how an engagement was “imminent” – with Lisa wanting an intimate celebration the second time around, in contrast to Ant’s lavish star-studded wedding to Anne-Marie last year.
And now, as the couple continue to plan their future together, pals say she has high hopes of tying the knot in California. “Getting married to her dream man in LA would bring everything full circle,” adds the source. “It would be the perfect way to mark this new chapter of her life.”