Love is in the air! Dancing On Ice star Joey Essex gets cozy with his skating partner Vanessa Bauer ahead of the semifinals in a sweet Instagram snap
Rumors of a romance between the two have been circulating for several months.
And the two have looked happier than ever lately as they snuggled up to each other in a sweet Instagram snap ahead of the semifinals on Saturday.
The reality TV star, 32, can be seen flashing his pearly whites as he smiled alongside his pro skating partner Vanessa, 26, for the sweet snap.
And Vanessa, who’s also smiling everywhere, took to her Instagram Stories to share the sweet snap, with the post captioned, “Taking it all in @dancingonice @joeyessex.”
The sweet snap comes after the couple recently shocked fans by sharing a kiss on live TV last month after dancing dressed as main characters Troy and Gabrielle to High School Musical’s Breaking Free.
Love is in the air! Dancing On Ice star Joey Essex got cozy with his skating partner Vanessa Bauer ahead of Saturday’s semifinals in a sweet Instagram snap
And once the routine is complete, Joey can be seen getting carried away by bringing in his ice skating partner Vanessa for a full fledged love bite.
Vanessa, surprised by the bold move, can be seen laughing at the kiss before joining Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby for the judges’ points.
After the shocking kiss, Joey told Philip and Holly that it was Vanessa’s “first kiss on TV.”
The shocking live-on-air kiss comes after Joey recently returned to rehearsals after sustaining a serious skating injury during rehearsals last month.
And the former Towie star has had to rest as he recovers from the injury.
The star then took to his Instagram to share an update with his 1.8million followers by posting a picture of him bedridden.
Snapping a photo of his bottom half, the TV personality’s right knee and shin were wrapped in black brace.
While he covered his foot with a sticker from a skate, it indicated he could have other injuries.
Smooch: The sweet snap comes after the couple recently shocked fans by sharing a kiss on live TV last month after dancing to High School Musical’s Breaking Free
Earlier this month, Joey confirmed rumors of a relationship with Vanessa during Dancing On Ice after being grilled by hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Scholfield.
However, the presenters were subsequently criticized by viewers for being “completely inappropriate” and “disrespectful” and leaving Vanessa visibly “uncomfortable”.
Phil, 60, tried to persuade the former TOWIE star, 32, and his professional partner, 26, to reveal if they were an item before Holly, 41, dubbed the couple “Joey Essex and his skater slash- real-life partner Vanessa.’
The Dancing On Ice semi-finals airs on ITV1 on Sunday 5 March at 18:30 and the show holds a shocking twist for the celebrity skaters as there will be two eliminations during the show.
Semi-finals: The semi-finals air on ITV1 on Sunday 5 March at 18:30 and the show holds a shocking twist for the skaters as there will be two eliminations during the show