Three months after announcing that she and husband Jesse Wood were separating, Fearne Cotton has been photographed looking very loved-up with TV and film director Elliot Hegarty.
During a night out in London’s Soho, the Happy Place podcaster, 43, was snapped sharing a kiss with BAFTA-nominated Elliot, 53 – a move which is said to have left their respective estranged spouses stunned and upset. But our source says Fearne is putting herself first for once.
We’re told, ‘Fearne is thrilled to be dating Elliot. It’s made her feel alive again – there’s a smile on her face. He’s just what she needs right now – she feels she deserves this. She is being really bold in her pursuit of happiness and isn’t going to let herself get bogged down by wallowing in self-pity. She’s excited for her future and, frankly, she doesn’t care how it looks to the outside world.’
Fearne and musician Jesse, 48 – who is the son of The Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood – announced their shock split in December, after a decade of marriage. Wellness advocate Fearne said their children – Rex, 11, and Honey, nine, as well as Arthur, 23, and Lola, 19, from Jesse’s previous marriage – were their priority in a statement she shared on Instagram.
It is thought that the mum of two struck up a romance with Rivals director Elliot in January, after he reportedly split from his wife Laura on Boxing Day. According to a family friend, Laura was ‘shocked and devastated’, because she only discovered her estranged husband was with Fearne after seeing the paparazzi photos.
Meanwhile, another source claimed, ‘[Jesse] knew Fearne had started a relationship with Elliot and that has been tough. But to see them kissing in the street and laughing with her friends is a bitter pill to swallow.’
Our insider adds that, despite Fearne’s happiness, some of those close to her fear things could get messy. ‘Fearne is someone who has done so much work on herself, so she’s very self-assured when it comes to dealing with the trauma of a divorce. But her friends are worried she could be rushing into things with Elliot,’ we’re told.
The source adds, ‘But Fearne is following her heart. She thinks that if anyone is upset by her new romance, that’s their problem, not hers.’
