Former Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas has always kept his romance with ex-TOWIE favourite Lucy Mecklenburgh relatively low-key.
The couple, who struck up a romance on Bear Grylls’ Celebrity Island, have only ever shared a handful of pictures to social media and don’t really talk about each other in interviews – even though it’s clear they’re super happy and smitten.
And in a new interview with Now magazine, Ryan, 33, finally explained just why he won’t chat about Lucy, 26, in public.
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When asked if Lucy missed him while he filmed Neighbours in Australia, he said: “It’s so difficult because every time someone asks me about a relationship it takes away from what I’m trying to do.
“I’d love to sit here and talk about Lucy all day long, but it takes away from what I’m doing.
“I’ll happily have a drink with you and talk about it all day long, but not today!”
Ryan jetted to Oz last year to film a guest appearance on legendary Aussie soap Neighbours, although Lucy was in the country with him part of the time.
She even joined him on set as she shared a picture to Instagram showing her posing with Neighbours icons Alan Fletcher (Karl Kennedy) and Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson).
While Ryan wasn’t keen to talk about Lucy in the recent interview, she was more than happy to big up her man’s debut in the soap yesterday.
Lucy teased fans: “Make sure u tune in to @neighbours hit & run 10pm channel 5 tonight!!! U may see a new mysterious character (sic).”
ED! recently chatted with Ryan about why he swapped Weatherfield for Erinsborough. And, no, it wasn’t just the good weather!
“It is one of the reasons I left Corrie, because I wanted to challenge myself. It is nice to start again from scratch and everyone at Neighbours was so friendly,” he told us.
Ryan’s mysterious character, Rafael Humphries, made his debut last night.
Rafael is covered in scars after an accident at a factory in Brazil where Rafael was living with his mum – and how he’s out for revenge.
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Ryan teased: “He’s now got to his 30s and he knows that someone was responsible for what happened… and it was someone in Erinsborough. I can’t tell you who, though!
“He’s come to Ramsay Street looking for revenge and to put his demons to bed – it’s been playing on his mind for so many years. He’s set to shake things up when he arrives.”
Neighbours continues weekdays at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5.
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