Denise Van Outen opens up about her love life: 'I’ve let work take over my relationship'
Watch: Denise Van Outen and Eddie Boxshall meet a psychosexual therapist in their new podcast, Before We Say I Do...
Denise Van Outen has been with partner Eddie Boxshall for seven years now, however, it seems he has been competing with another love in the singer’s life – her work!
Speaking on their new podcast, Before We Say I Do, the Dancing On Ice star admitted she has let work get in the way of her relationship with Boxshall.
On each episode of the new podcast, the pair investigate a different form of relationship counselling, starting with psychosexual therapy.
Speaking about their initial session, Van Outen said: “I feel that this is long overdue, to be honest, this is what I've been saying for a while that I feel like it's become disconnected.
“I take on board a lot of it's my own fault, my own doing, because I'm very busy, but I enjoy my job as well. I like working, but I do notice that sometimes it takes over a little bit.”
Read more: Denise Van Outen opens up about why she's tackling couples counselling on her new podcast
Therapist Cate Mackenize revealed during the episode that Van Outen is like an octopus, whereas Boxshall is more of a turtle.
Mackenzie, a COSRT accredited psychosexual therapist and couples counsellor, told Van Outen that as a “pioneering woman” – or octopus - who has been working from a young age, her turtle boyfriend can actually teach her a thing or two about living in the here and now.
Listen: Discover what Denise Van Outen really, really likes about boyfriend Eddie Boxshall
“You've picked the perfect person to teach you the art of slowing down, hanging out and not doing,” said Mackenzie.
She continued: “You might inspire Eddie in his dreams, and he might inspire you to slow down… Then everything changes and you two grow another layer of depth that feels gorgeous.”
Van Outen admitted her one attempt at slowing down — by playing golf with Boxshall —had not been as successful as she had hoped for.
Read more: Couples reveal biggest grievances of living together
“When we play golf, he just really annoys me,” stated Van Outen.
“All he does is he spends the whole time telling me that I hit the shot wrong or I've got the wrong stance!”
While the 46-year-old West End star, who has been working in the entertainment industry since she was just 14, admits to being a bit of a workaholic, other half Boxshall says her work ethic is something that he finds attractive.
“I love the way you’re an independent woman - that's something that I really, really am quite attracted to,” he stated.
During the episode, the pair also go through a bridging exercise, which results in them complimenting each other. While Van Outen initially found the exercise embarrassing, she admitted it did help her appreciate Boxshall that little bit more.
“To do this — to sit down like this, to take this time, to even talk about why we appreciate each other, what we love about each other — is really important and quite special,” she told her partner.
“If we hadn't have taken a leap into this session and just decided to go for it, moments like this would never happen - so I feel like it's a nice time to just appreciate each other and to respect each other a little bit more!”
If you're experiencing issues surrounding any of the things covered in this article, support is available at relate.org.uk.
Hear just how Denise and Eddie got on with their initial therapy appointment on the first episode of Before We Say I Do. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and acast
Watch: The trailer for Before We Say I Do
