‘Snakey’ cheating exes & the row that left her alone in a hotel with a newborn – inside Josie Gibson’s chaotic love life
NOBODY has had a meteoric rise to fame quite like Josie Gibson.
The mum-of-one, who turned 40-years-old yesterday (January 24), became an overnight national treasure after securing 77.5% of the winning vote for the 11th series of Big Brother.
Josie has plans of “treating the whole year like it’s her birthday”.
But before she was able to jet off on skiing holidays in France’s affluent Val d’Isere or celebrate at dinners with her celebrity pals, she was a financial sales representative living in Gloucester.
Josie burst onto the scene in 2010 when she secured a spot in the Big Brother House.
She struck up a relationship with fellow housemate John James Parton while in there, and every night the British public would tune in to watch the then-25-year-old fall deeper in love.
The on-screen romance sparked an interest in Josie’s love life which hasn’t wavered over her 15 years in the spotlight,
Last year, her heart affairs made waves after she was snapped holding hands with fellow-presenter Stephen Mulhern backstage at Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
Rumours started flying that they were secretly an item – and this was further fuelled by Josie jokingly admitting that she was “in love” with the 47-year-old magician.
Fabulous takes a look at the This Morning presenter’s chaotic love life over the last 15 years…
First Boyfriend in the Public Eye
Josie met John James Parton, 39, in the Big Brother house in 2010 and the pair fell in love in front of the British public at 9pm every night.
In October that year, they appeared in a one-off fly on the wall show following their lives together called Josie and John James: What Happened Next.
But they called it quits in March 2011 after John James cheated on her. Josie then went on to tell the press that she didn’t “trust” her ex-beau and never wanted to speak to him again.
She alleged in a May 2011 interview: “He put me through so many mind games. He used to go on about my weight all the time. He would take the p*ss out of my looks and make me feel ugly. He used to tell me I was thick.”
He used to go on about my weight all the time. He would take the p*ss out of my looks and make me feel ugly. He used to tell me I was thick
Josie Gibson
The pair were embroiled in a bitter Twitter dispute in December 2011, with Josie writing: “You love winding and spreading lies to your deluded followers because that’s all you have.”
John James responded: “I left YOU and still to this day you try and contact me, messaging me and emailing me. And I’m the one that needs to grow up and move on?”
In January 2016, the ex-lovers appeared to put their beef to bed when the Aussie sent her a video message as part of her interview with the Loose Women where he told her she was “looking very healthy at the moment”.
However, Josie appeared to make a dig at John James in 2023 after making her I’m A Celeb debut and declaring: “Snakes I’m quite good with actually, I fell in love with enough of them!”
The Fiancé
In February 2012, Josie got engaged to plumber Luke Sanwo after a six-month relationship, with the pair having met at a music festival in the previous summer.
She told Fabulous in December 2012: “Luke’s a keeper. It’s hard to find a guy like that – a proper gentleman.
“I think because he’s been brought up with his mum and his sister, he’s very protective over women.”
However, they broke things off in April 2015 without ever making it up the aisle, with Josie saying it’s because they “fell out of love”.
Luke’s a keeper. It’s hard to find a guy like that – a proper gentleman. He’s very protective over women
Josie Gibson
In November 2017, Josie furiously slammed her ex-fiancé on Twitter when she claimed he owed her money and was messaging her behind his new girlfriend’s back.
She said that Luke owed her £700 which she lent him to do a course as part of his job.
Josie also exposed screenshots of e-mails he had sent her saying: “Hate to say it but I still think about you every day. You broke me down so many times but there’s something infectious about you”
But she was having none of it and wrote alongside the screenshots: “Yes you are going to regret this because you had a girlfriend when you sent this message. Pay me back the money I lent you. #snake.”
Father of her Child
Josie welcomed her son Reggie, six, back in September 2018 with then-boyfriend, property developer Terry Bond, 54.
The pair had been together for just over a year but called it quits four months after welcoming their first child into the world.
Speaking to New magazine in January 2019, Josie announced the split and divulged details of her heartache.
She revealed that Terry kicked her out of his home just before New Year’s Eve 2018 after an explosive row about shoes.
I’d never go back now. I need somewhere secure for me and Reg. I never wanted to be a single mother, obviously, but there are things you can’t let go
Josie Gibson
He told her to pack her bags and booted her out, meaning Josie and Reggie saw in the new year alone in a hotel room.
She described it as the “worst New Year’s Eve ever” but admitted tensions had been brewing for a while as she grew “resentful” of Terry choosing to sleep in a campervan in the garden instead of in the house to help with Reggie’s night feeds.
Josie added in the interview that she had been “no angel” during their relationship and “lost it” during arguments, but ultimately realised they weren’t getting anywhere as a couple.
She said at the time: “I’d never go back now. I need somewhere secure for me and Reg. I never wanted to be a single mother, obviously, but there are things you can’t let go.”
Mystery Man
In August 2023, Josie opened up about her dating life on telly show, Shopping with Keith Lemon.
She said: “There is someone in my life at the moment but it’s early stages. It’s that bit where you’ve got the flutters, can’t-wait-to see-them vibes, you get a little bit nervous.”
Josie even admitted to have told her secret beau that she was in love with him, adding: “I’ve said I love you. It’s best to just get it out of the way, I don’t like playing games.”
Fans were quick to speculate on who the mystery man was.
There is someone in my life at the moment but it’s early stages. I’ve said I love you. It’s best to just get it out of the way, I don’t like playing games
Josie Gibson
Some believed that it was celebrity hairstylist Maurice Flynn, after the pair had been seen enjoying a dinner together at posh Italian restaurant LAVO in London’s affluent Marylebone.
Others thought it was her This Morning co-star, cameraman Sam Morton, based on a picture of them holding hands in Paris.
But Josie was quick to deny the workplace romance.
She said on social media: “I am not in a relationship or neither am I in love with cameraman Sam. I am not with Sam Morter. I love Sam Morter, he is my work colleague, I am like his older sister, I’m like his auntie.”
Mulhern Magic
Josie and Stephen Mulhern were snapped holding hands backstage at filming of Saturday Night Takeaway back in April 2024.
The presenters, who featured in the all-star cast of Ant and Dec’s last ever show, sent the rumour mill swirling.
Asked about their relationship status, Josie, 39, joked: “I’m in love with Stephen Mulhern. There you go. But story of my life, I don’t think he loves me.”
This Morning hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard probed rumours in May last year when they had Stephen on as a guest.
Listen, she didn’t turn up to rehearsals, I held her hand and I showed her where to stand
Stephen Mulhern
The magician laughed off the rumours and told Ben to “shut his face” before they went to a break.
When the show wound down, Cat and Ben were quick to bring up the rumours again, prompting Stephen to break his silence.
With only seconds before the end of the show, he said: “Listen, she didn’t turn up to rehearsals, I held her hand and I showed her where to stand. That is it. Finito!”
“Uh-huh, really. Your lips are sealed?” poked Cat, while Ben added: “Me thinks he protest too much.”
As the pair burst into laughter, a flustered and red-faced Stephen asked: “Why are you doing this to me?! Unbelievable!”
Josie and Stephen have been friends for years as part of ITV’s stable of talent, appearing together on Saturday Night Takeaway, This Morning and Catchphrase together among other shows.