PHILLIP Schofield has confronted Joey Essex over his romance with pro Vanessa Baeur in an awkward Dancing On Ice moment.
The pair have grown close since being partnered together for the ITV skate contest in November but until now have remained coy about their relationship.
With 8,8,7,7.5 Joey got an impressive 30.5, making it is highest score of the series so far.
And as they waited for their scores and chatted to Phillip and Holly, Joey told them he’s “fallen in love with ice skating.”
Phillip cheekily responded: “With ice skating,” as the audience laughed along.
Joey smiled saying: “I’ve fallen in love with Paso.”
But Phillip didn’t leave it there, as he quipped: “Anything else?” and he replied: “Umm, no just the ice.”
It comes as a backstage source told HOAR: “A number of people saw Joey and Vanessa kissing.
“We were all surprised because until now they’ve danced around what’s happening, you know lots of ‘he’s great’, ‘she’s great’, lunches and attending parties, to the point where I think everyone wondered if there was anything other than a flirty friendship there.
“But there was nothing friendly about these kisses, if you get what I mean.
“Good on them!”
Joey, 32, told HOAR he felt “blessed” to be paired with Vanessa, 26, but she was “super strict” about keeping training professional.
The cheeky reality hunk added: “You’re close and you are touching each other’s legs…and everywhere else.
“You are very intimate and it can happen.
“Honestly I don’t know how people do this show when they’re married, it would be a disaster.
“People were saying to me, like if I was married… god.
“Lucky I ain’t got a ring on my finger, eh!”
