Fern Britton breaks her silence after ex-husband chef Phil Vickery is pictured 'smooching' her best friend

This Morning chef Phil Vickery's ex-wife Fern Britton has addressed reports that he is 'dating' her best friend Lorraine Stanton after the pair were pictured 'smooching' on a London street.

The ITV Daytime chef, 61, who is popular for his recipes, is claimed to have shared the "lingering public kiss" with Lorraine Stanton, 58, following a date in London.

Photographs, obtained by The Sun, shows Phil and Lorraine Stanton locking lips on the street with their overnight bags and a friend told the publication, "They look like teenagers in love and that will be just so hurtful for Fern. Behaving this way in public will feel like a betrayal. They are two of the most important people in her life and them behaving this way in public will feel like a betrayal.”

But Fern, who had been married to him for 20 years before they separated in 2020, broke her silence to rubbish the claims. She told her Twitter followers, "Good morning all. Just to clear up any concerns re front page. It is not true. @TheSun"

And fans have rallied around the star. One tweeted, "Stay strong! You’re an amazing woman"

Another fan put, "Hope you’re ok Fern", while a third fan added, "Have a fabulous day Fern."

The reported romantic clinch comes two years after he split from ex-wife, author and TV personality Fern Britton, who previously opened up on a scandal that rocked her family.

The newspaper reports that Phil and Lorraine enjoyed a romantic walk before disappearing into a plush Mayfair property. At around 2pm they emerged carrying overnight bags before stopping twice in the street for a "passionate kiss", according to reports.

Lorraine can be seen rising onto her tip-toes to lock lips with the chef before going their separate ways.

The day before the PDA, Phil had been a guest cook on This Morning where he rustled up a tasty sausage traybake with the help of Take That star Mark Owen, before sharing the food with hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

Lorriane, who is understood to work in hospitality, has been friends with Fern for decades and these Public Displays of Affection (PDA) to Phil come just weeks after Fern admitted she struggled to move on from the breakdown of their marriage.

The couple share daughter Winnie, 20, whilst the Ready Steady Cook presenter also has twins Harry and Jack, 28 and Grace, 25, with former husband Clive Jones.

And after her split from Phil, Fern admitted she felt 'exhausted'.

Speaking to Woman & Home magazine last month, Fern admitted, "People say they bounce back from a long relationship, but it takes a while," she said.

"The rebound is difficult. You chuck the pebble in the pond, but the ripples go on for a very long time."

"It's been a long time getting to the dawn, but I'm in another brand-new chapter and do feel it will be all right," Fern added, as she explained how she has turned to 'yoga, meditation and walking' in order to help herself heal and move on in life.