As Steph Pratt and Joey Essex defend their relationship, we take a look at the other couples who were accused of a showmance
From Steph Davis and Jeremy McConnell to Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise here are the relationships we have all questioned
JOEY Essex and Stephanie Pratt have sparked up a romance after meeting on new E4 show Celebs Go Dating.
Despite being on the show to track down love with the general public the two fell into each other’s arms.
With the couple’s flirtation so public and speculation about their relationship filling the gossip pages, many have questioned if the pair are just putting on a show for publicity.
When asked if they were the real deal, Joey said: “I know it’s genuine, she knows it’s genuine.
“I trust her, she trusts me. It works and it’s perfect.
“I don’t care what anyone says or thinks.
“I think me and Steph will be the only couple on the show to last.”
Well that told us then. But what about the other public relationships which have had their veracity questioned? Here is our run down of the couples who have been accused of faking their love for the cameras.
Steph Davis and Jeremy McConnell
Steph and Jeremy met on-screen when they were both put in the Big Brother house together.
The start of their relationship was controversial as Steph went into the house loved-up with then-boyfriend Sam Reece.
Never-the-less the pair sensationally carried on, gaining themselves (and her ex) a lot of column inches.
On leaving the house the showmance debate heated up as they had a series of very public rows and a number of break-ups.
Steph is now pregnant with Jeremy’s child despite the couple no longer being together.
He has taken to twitter to say that he will: “always be responsible for my actions” while Steph claimed on Loose Women that he has been impossible to contact throughout the pregnancy.
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Marnie Simpson and Lewis Bloor
Another Celeb Big Brother romance, these two met in the latest series of the show.
The young pair hooked up almost as soon as they went into the house, much to the delight of the viewing public.
From the first day the pair were accused of faking the relationship, but since leaving they have gone to great lengths to prove their doubters wrong.
They have constantly denied accusations of a showmance, even reportedly turning down some big money magazine deals in order to quash the rumours.
Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise
Possibly the first and original suspected showmance, Tom Cruise’s overt display on Oprah with that infamous sofa jump, sparked questions about the unlikely coupling.
They went on to marry and have an adorable baby girl Suri, now ten years old.
The pair divorced in 2012, although it is rumoured that Katie Holmes signed a contract which stated she would not be seen publically dating until five years after their relationship.
So keep an eye out in 2017, it could be her year.
Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston
The latest in a long line of very public Taylor Swift realtionships, Tom Hiddleston came hot on the heels of the her split with DJ Calvin Harris.
A number of “tell-tell” signs were cited as possible indicators of a faked relationship between the two.
Including the abundance of paparazzi clued in on their holiday plans, the ridiculous “I <3 T. S.” T-shirt he wore and the speed at which they met the families.
The match was short lived with the pair going their separate ways after around three months.
Cheryl and Liam Payne
Earlier in the year it was announced that Cheryl and One Direction’s Liam Payne were an item.
The pairing broke a number of teenage “directioner’s” hearts across the globe but many weren’t convinced by the couple.
Despite constantly stating that she preferred to keep her private life completely private, Cheryl was not particularly secretive about her new love.
This paired with the ten-year age gap between them caused many to brand the match a showmance.
They two are still together, so only time will tell if this love is set to last.
Chloe-Jasmine Whichello and Stevi Ritchie
In one of the most bizarre couplings to hit reality TV, 18 months ago upper-class ex-model Chloe-Jasmine announced her relationship with father-of-one Stevi.
Their relationship started during their time on the X-Factor in 2014 but with neither of them managing to forge a career in the music, it’s their unlikely love which has kept them in the lime-light.
The couple recently had a wedding blessing in Cyprus to prove the veracity of their romance was “real and genuine”.
Joey Essex and Amy Willerton
Another day, another showmance rumour for Joey Essex, this one was from back in 2014 when sparks flew between the Essex lad and beauty queen Amy Willerton during their time in the celebrity jungle.
They continued their relationship outside the jungle, even reportedly joining the “mile high club” on the way home but split shortly afterwards.
The following year, Amy gave an interview in which she claimed that Joey had asked her for a fake relationship but that when she had turned him down he stopped talking to her… the plot thickens.
Megan McKenna and Pete Wicks
Unveiling their relationship on TOWIE, the unlikely couple started dating earlier in the year.
The constant publicity and barrage of loved up Instagram posts has led some to ask if it is actually a showmance.
The feisty temptress has insisted in interviews that there is nothing fake about the couple claiming that her and the Essex boy are “100% genuine”.
With the romance still in full swing it is yet to be seen if it will stand the test of time.
