He’s been open about wanting to find love ever since he split with long-term, on-off girlfriend Gemma Collins for good in July 2020. And it’s now emerged that James “Arg” Argent is dating 18-year-old Italian actress Stella Turian.
The former TOWIE star is said to be “smitten” with his new love interest, whom he met at a friend’s wedding in Mykonos in June.
A source revealed, “James and Stella are in love, they fell for each other the moment they met and have spent as much time together as possible since. This is a big deal for James – he hasn’t been in a relationship for years because he’s been working on himself. Now, finally, he’s ready to share his life with someone.”
Loved-up Arg – who, at 34, is 16 years Stella’s senior – confirmed his exciting romance shortly after photographs of the pair sharing a kiss in Marbella began to do the rounds.
And insiders say Arg’s ex Gemma – who is engaged to partner Rami Hawash – has found the news hard to take.
A source says, “Seeing Arg’s young new love has really thrown Gem. She’d just got to a place in her life where she thought she was completely over him, but has found the pictures of them passionately kissing each other quite triggering. On one hand, it brought back all the awful memories, and how he left her feeling worthless and used, while on the other, it made her angry to suddenly think that Arg and his new girlfriend might even beat her and Rami down the aisle.”
Gemma and Arg’s on-off relationship spanned a total of eight years, with much of their roller-coaster romance played out on TOWIE, where their paths first crossed in 2011.
After Arg’s split from Lydia Bright in 2012, the pair hooked up, but it didn’t work out, with Gemma telling him on TOWIE, “Take a good look at this, you ain’t ever gonna get this candy!”
The couple gave it another go in 2017, but their relationship was plagued by toxic arguments, drama and cheating allegations – with Arg once admitting Gemma threw his smoked salmon breakfast out the window in a furious rage, before kicking him out of her house.
Their tumultuous relationship came to a dramatic end in summer 2020 when Gemma shared cruel texts
sent to her by Arg calling her a “hippo” and a “fat f**k”.
Since then, she has moved on with car dealer Rami, who she’d previously dated and been engaged to in 2013.
Since reconciling in April 2021, the pair have moved in together, got engaged once more, and Gemma has become a stepmum to Rami’s four-year-old son Tristan.
Meanwhile, Arg has also turned his life around. After heading to rehab and getting sober from drugs and alcohol, he had a gastric band fitted in 2021 and lost a staggering 14st – saying earlier this year he felt “happier and healthier” than ever, apart from the fact he was single.
But now it seems that things are going well with new love Stella – who recently starred in science fiction flick _In_finiti, which screened at the Venice Film Festival.
And Closer’s sources say the news has got Gemma paranoid that he’ll get married before her.
“Gemma’s admitted to friends that she felt jealous, and while she doesn’t want it to be a competition, she has said she’ll be furious if Arg ends up tying the knot with Stella before she and Rami do,” the insider reveals. “Her mates are worried that this is a sign she’s not fully over Arg and that it might upset Rami. But Gem maintains that this is about her self-esteem and wanting to feel as though she’s fully moved on from her painful past – and doing it quickly before Arg does.”
Gemma has long been candid about her dreams for a fairy-tale wedding, telling Closer in 2018, “I want to get married in Capri and be flown in by helicopter – I would have to overcome my fear of helicopters though, like when I was on I’m A Celeb. Sequins and glitter would be flying up all over the sky, everywhere! Then I’d walk up
a Swarovski crystal pink carpet to meet my man at the aisle.”
And our source adds that the reality star is pinning hopes on tying the knot with Rami as soon as possible, but would sacrifice the pomp and glamour she had previously envisioned for her big day.
The source said, “Rami makes Gem feel safe and loved – but she wants it to be locked down ASAP. and it’s almost as if she’s in a race with Arg to be first up the aisle. She’s told pals that if Arg ends up marrying Stella before she marries Rami, then it will really knock her for six. She’s never fully forgiven Arg for the things he said to her during their toxic relationship – or the way that he made her feel.”