Denise Van Outen on split from Eddie Boxshall: I don’t like to be taken advantage of

Denise Van Outen has said she is "proud" of herself for knowing "when to walk away" as she opened up on her split from fiance Eddie Boxshall.

The 47-year-old actor and TV presenter - who announced in January she had ended her seven year relationship with the city broker - said is was a matter of "self-worth".

Van Outen told The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2: “The one thing I’m really proud of myself for is I do know when to walk away and I don’t like to be taken advantage of.

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"Sometimes it’s been to the detriment of my own career or in my own relationships, but I just feel like it’s really important as a woman to have self-worth and self-respect."

She added: "I’ve always tried to maintain that in anything that I do in life, generally. More so now as a mother because I feel like I’m a role model and I’ve got to set an example."

The former EastEnders star is mother to 11-year-old daughter Betsy, whose father is West End star Lee Mead.

Van Outen is feeling optimistic about the future as a single mother.

She said: "Do you know what? The bad times are always followed by good times and that’s what I always look forward to.

"I think you just ride the wave of the bad times knowing that eventually you will get to a good place.”

Van Outen announced that she and Eddie Boxshall were no longer a couple in an Instagram post, saying she, "had to make the difficult decision not to continue in our relationship".

She added: "I will always treasure the good times we spent together, and the memories made.

"We ask that you please respect our privacy at this time, especially for our children."

The couple - who starred together on Celebrity Gogglebox - met when one of Van Outen's friends set them up on a blind date.

They took part in a couples therapy podcast for Yahoo! last year, called Before We Say I Do.

Watch: Denise Van Outen gets hypnotised in couples therapy

Van Outen was married to fellow West End star Mead, 39, from 2009 until 2013. They met when Mead won the BBC TV talent show Any Dream Will Do, which she was a judge for.

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The former Masked Singer contestant competed on last year's series of Dancing On Ice, quitting the competition due to a shoulder injury.