Celebrity Gogglebox’s Denise Van Outen has had a tumultuous relationship with her former co-star over the years, but the pair have finally put their differences behind them

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Denise Van Outen said the pair initially fell out over contract negotiations (Image: CHANNEL4)

Denise Van Outen and Johnny Vaughan famously fell out during their time hosting The Big Breakfast Show in the late 1990s. Denise, who later competed on Strictly Come Dancing, claimed their friendship took a turn due to issues with contract negotiations.

At the time, it was reported that Johnny had made a separate deal regarding his salary, which damaged the trust between them.

Reflecting on the matter, Denise commented on Loose Women in 2017: “At that particular time, we were literally like brother and sister, we were best friends, unbreakable.

“The whole relationship fell apart when we started to renegotiate our contracts, because I always felt that we worked together as a team and that is how it should be.”

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Johnny Vaughan and Denise Van Outen reunited for a brief stint on Capital Radio in 2008

In a chat with The Metro newspaper, he remarked: “She might have fallen out with me but I never fell out with her. I just love Denise, won’t hear a word against her.

“Sometimes you don’t spot things, which is me being maybe insensitive and I really apologise to her for that.”

After years of not talking, the duo briefly reunited on the Capital Radio Breakfast Show in 2008, sparking hopes of a renewed friendship.

Unfortunately, however, things didn’t go as planned after Denise exited the show before her contract ended.

She later told the Daily Mail: “He wouldn’t let me speak, would tell me when I should and shouldn’t speak and would also constantly not mention that we were joint presenters. It was always, ‘This is Johnny Vaughan, you are listening to Capital Radio,’ and there was no mention of my name.

“I was on the other side of the desk. He had control of the desk and when I would go to speak he would fade my microphone down.”

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Johnny Vaughan and Denise Van Outen together again on Celebrity Gogglebox last year

However, Johnny denied this was the cause and instead insisted that she found it challenging to transition from television and theatre to radio.

He added to The Mirror: “Perhaps I wasn’t as ­reassuring as you can be. We did have a bit of a fallout, but I still love her to bits.”

Despite their past issues, the duo have since reconciled, joining forces on Celebrity Gogglebox last year and sharing the screen on Steph McGovern’s Steph’s Packed Lunch in 2023.

Reflecting on their bond, the presenter shared in his most recent interview: “We’ve done Gogglebox, I see her quite a bit, [and I] speak to her most weeks still.

“No matter how we’ve fallen out, she’s always been there for me, and I hope she feels I’ve always been there for her.”