Vanessa Feltz: ‘We have a 5-2 relationship’

Last week, radio presenter Vanessa Feltz dropped by the Loose Women studios, accompanied by her partner of 12 years, Ben Ofoedu. And as she revealed the secrets to her happy relationship with the former Phats & Small singer, Vanessa made some pretty startling confessions.

For a start, the pair don’t share a bed most of the week. They’re practising a ‘five-two’ relationship, the 56-year-old explained.

It may sound like a diet plan, but it actually means they sleep in separate rooms five nights a week and together for only two – although Ben ‘ has visiting rights any time’, she added.

But that’s not the only unconventional aspect of their romance. Shockingly, Vanessa also admitted that Ben, 45, has never seen her without make-up.

‘ When I was a teenager, my sister and I discussed this. We thought smudged eye make-up was better than no make-up,’ she revealed.

Hilariously, Vanessa maintained Ben couldn’t cope if he saw her fresh-faced. ‘He’s a sensitive soul, he’s quite young and I think he’d have a shock. I’ve been drawing these lips on for 12 years.’

Ben nodded in agreement, even revealing that she once wore bright-red lipstick when they went swimming together.

It sounds exhausting. But that’s not all! As well as keeping her face sans make-up hidden from Ben, Vanessa also talked about retaining an air of ‘mystique’ around him – something recommended by her mother.

‘She was like, you don’t shave your legs in front of your other half.

‘ You don’t put any of that intimate stuff on display, otherwise you become buddies, best friends or roommates, and that saucy, sexy, mysterious side becomes completely mute.’

Sorry, Vanessa, but this sounds like a huge amount of hard work on top of the normal effort needed to keep a relationship on the right track!

And critics might argue that, if you don’t feel your lover is your best friend, or you worry what your man might think if he sees you without your slap on, you need to rethink that relationship.

Still, it’s different strokes for different folks. And after 12 happy years together, Vanessa and Ben are obviously doing something right.

‘You don’t put any of that intimate stuff on display, otherwise that mysterious side becomes mute’