Denise falls for her childhood flame

Denise Van Outen has fallen for the first boy she ever kissed.

The Any Dream Will Do judge first dated actor James Lance when they were both pre-teen students at the Sylvia Young theatre school in London – he went on to star in C4 show Teachers as love-cheat Matt while she fronted The Big Breakfast and later became engaged to Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay.

20 years later, Denise admits she has reconnected with old flame, James, after meeting up with him in America, where she has been presenting US talent search series Grease: You’re the One That I Want!

“It’s really, really early days,” the 32-year-old told The Mirror. “James is one of my oldest friends. We were best friends at school and I totally respect him and like him as a person.

“He’s someone living the same life as I am between LA and London. I’ve been out there a lot and we spent a lot of time there together.”