
Louise Redknapp, 50, reveals if there are wedding bells on the horizon with younger boyfriend Drew Michael, 41, as she hits back at 'toyboy' criticism
Louise Redknapp has revealed if there are wedding bells on the horizon with her younger boyfriend Drew Michael.
The singer, 50, and the businessman, 41, have been dating since October 2023 and have gone from stregnth to stregnth.
The singer moved on with Drew after her split from Jamie Redknapp in 2017 after 19 years of marriage. They share two children together Charlie, 20, and William, 16.
Now in a new interview as she releases her new album Louise has gushed over her partner after her tough marriage breakdown and spoken candidly about their future plans.
She told The Sun: 'Drew's great. We're having a lovely time together. It took me a long time to get to that place and be open about anything.
'I was very guarded and scared. But I'm really enjoying having special times with someone. He's a great guy and super-kind.'
Asked if there are wedding bells on the horizon she added: 'Oh, I'm not even thinking that far ahead. I'm not even going there.
'I just want to be proud of this and I want to really enjoy it. I've met a really great guy and I'm really happy. But you never know what the future holds.'
She added in the interview that her two sons really get on well with Drew which makes life much easier.
Louise also hit back at 'toyboy' criticism due to their nine-year age gap.
She said being branded a 'cougar' is 'water off a duck's back' to her and that 'age is irrelevant' as she doesn't 'feel older than him'.
The interview comes after she recently revealed why she was painted as the 'villain' following her split from ex-husband Jamie.
Louise opened up about being accused of walking out on her family and how everyone had an 'opinion'.
She told the Independent: 'I was the villain. I'd been lucky in my career because for many years I didn't really have a lot of scrutiny. Then bang, everybody's got an opinion.'
'Anything someone could perceive as negative, I cut out. Nothing I said was right. To defend myself was wrong. To not defend myself was wrong. I felt like I was walking up a one-way street with just nowhere to go on it.'
Elsewhere Louise said she is now ready to push out of her comfort zone and she even features a number of 'sex noises' in her new single.
She is preparing to release a new album Confessions and is really adamant about making 'progressive music' instead of being 'nostalgic'.
Louise said she doesn't care what people think despite friends questioning whether there are 'too many sex noises' in her new track Get Into It, which features moans of ecstasy.
Speaking about co-writer Jon Shave, who worked on Charli XCX's album Brat, she said: 'I got a text from Jon asking, "Are there too many sex noises on this?". And I was like, "Jon, there can never be too many sex noises!"
'I've had a lot of feedback like that. And I do understand it. I've always kept in my lane, done what people expected. Now I'm saying, 'f*** it!'
It came after Louise discussed her divorce from Jamie on the Happy Place podcast and credited her two sons for keeping her going during the breakup.
She said: 'If I didn't have my kids, I think I would've just given up. I think I just knew that my kids were my everything and they needed me.'
The singer admitted that the public scrutiny of her marriage breakdown made the situation even harder to deal with.
She added: 'But I can honestly say, when you're going through something so personal in your own turmoil in your own way, but then to get the barrage of judgment and nastiness.
'I never realised people could be so unkind and say such terrible things. I blew my mind.'
'I was going through a lot as it was, I was trying to be strong for my kids, whatever had gone on in our life was private - which I do believe that you're entitled to no matter what.
'And God, I was such a villain, and I was breaking like I was absolutely breaking.
'Beyond what I thought it was possible for a human to break and all along I'm still trying to be a mum.
'And it was just like every time I went out, and I was trying to put a brave face on and do things, like that was wrong if I didn't.
'I felt like everything I did was so wrong.'
Listeners were quick to praise Louise, who has not remarried, for her honesty.
They wrote: 'Refreshingly honest. Louise comes across as such a lovely grounded person, and she's passing on her wisdom to her kids';
'What an extraordinary interview! So honest, humble and sincere. Thank you so very much for sharing Ladies';
'Felt like I was sat with 2 girl friends... honest, real and inspiring';
'What an amazing interview [and] great to hear you speak your truth.'
Following the split, Jamie found love with Swedish model Frida Andersson and they tied the knot in 2021 before having a son together.
Louise has also found love again and has been in a relationship with businessman Drew since 2023.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Times
23 minutes ago
- Times
The startling truth about Spotify — it's got a porn problem
A s I understand it, one of the clichés of pornographic plotting is a hapless innocent — a plumber or pizza delivery boy — stumbling unwittingly into a sexual scenario. Last week this happened to me on my Spotify Premium Family account. It was a weekday morning. I was at my desk, researching potential column subjects as the Sunday Times radio and podcast critic. Scrolling Spotify's podcast charts to check out what was trending, I noticed a couple of high-ranking shows in the fiction podcast category Top Ten that I hadn't heard of. At No 3 there was Yaya Sama Audios, with some anime-looking cover art and more than 140 episodes uploaded since mid-May. At No 7, something called ivys aud, with fewer episodes and a vintage feel to its artwork — violet roses wrapped in a broadsheet newspaper. I clicked on an episode of the first audio title, one of about half a dozen uploaded just that day, and then gasped to discover, under the cartoon image of a doe-eyed girl, the title ****ed Hard by an Obsessed Big ***k. Its English-accented monologue narrated a rapey seduction, as the large-type AI-written transcript of the pornographic audio rolled up my screen. Episode titles of the other podcast included Seducing Your Hot Married Deprived Neighbor and A Lesson in Slut Theory.


Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
WNBA rookie Paige Bueckers' romance with UConn star Azzi Fudd seemingly confirmed
UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd has appeared to confirm her relationship with ex-teammate Paige Bueckers in a new social media post. Fans have long speculated that the close friends - who spent four seasons playing together for the Huskies - were romantically involved, as Fudd accompanied Bueckers to the WNBA Draft this spring. And Fudd has given the strongest indication yet that the basketball players are indeed an item, as she showed off an extremely telling phone case. Fudd posted a mirror selfie of her getting her hair styled, and fans realized that her phone case read: 'paige bueckers' girlfriend.' Fudd is smiling wide in the Instagram story, though no other explicit mention to Bueckers is made in the post. The pair previously 'hard launched' their relationship in the eyes of some fans after Fudd posted a TikTok of her getting the 'princess treatment' with Bueckers in May. In the short clip, Fudd can be seen mouthing the words, 'How much was it?' after being treated to a $200 meal. Bueckers jokingly crossed her arms in dismay when Fudd said 'that's not bad', after learning the price of the meal. And Fudd captioned the clip: 'Princess treatment every time I'm with her #spoiled.' Fans went wild on social media in response to Fudd's most recent post featuring her Bueckers-themed phone case. 'GOOD F******G MORNING TO ME,' one wrote on X. 'she got tired of being called best friend,' another said. 'and she made sure that IT SHOWS,' a third added. And a fourth said: 'HAPPY PRIDE MONTH.' The incoming fifth-year senior made the trip to New York for Bueckers WNBA Draft Day in May, as she was selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings. And the pair shared an emotional hug after Bueckers heard her name called at The Shed on April 15. Just nine days before, the pair helped lead UConn to an emphatic national championship win over South Carolina, defeating their opponents 82-59. Fudd was extremely impressive in the win, scoring 24 points and hauling in five rebounds, while Bueckers added 17 points and six boards in the win. The 23-year-old is thriving in her debut season in the WNBA as she's averaged 18 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 10 games thus far. Her Wings will face the Washington Mystics on Sunday.


The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Hobbit star Martin Freeman browses diamonds rings with actress partner Rachel Benaissa at London jewellers
SHERLOCK star Martin Freeman looks as if he is shopping for his precious at a jewellers. The actor, 53, seemed particularly taken with a £4,500 aquamarine and diamond ring. 5 5 5 Martin, who played Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit trilogy, has been with actress Rachel Benaissa, 30, for five years. A local who saw him outside the Hampstead, North London shop said: 'Martin looked intent on a particular show stopping ring in the front and centre of the window display. 'He even fetched the shop assistant so he could point out which one wanted to look at. "He was wearing a cap so he could go incognito.' Martin, who has two children with ex partner Amanda Abbington, recently opened up about his relationship with Rachel. He said: ' I talk to her about a lot of stuff because she's kind of my best friend and my confidante.' He also made a kinky admission on a recent podcast, revealing: 'She's a massive cheese and wine whore. 'She says that about herself, 'I'm a cheese and wine whore.' It's not all she is, but we like cooking.' Hobbit Frodo Baggins wields 'Sting' sword in Lord of the Rings 5