‘Victoria and Albert’go hunting for £1m palace
...as the beauty he jilted falls for another fellow star
THEIR sizzling chemistry in ITV’s hit drama Victoria has captivated viewers – and now it seems that the real-life romance between co-stars Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes is really hotting up.
After secretly dating for a year, the couple are searching for a house together close to Jenna’s rented home in trendy Hampstead, North London – and there is even speculation that Tom will pop the question before the end of the year.
The stars, both 30, have viewed a number of properties valued at more than £1million, I’m told.
As The Mail on Sunday revealed last month, Jenna and Tom fell for each other last summer, shortly before they began filming their roles as Victoria and Prince Albert.
The relationship came shortly after Tom had broken up with actress Ophelia Lovibond, a close friend of Jenna. The two women have not spoken to each other since.
However, Ophelia – the star of BBC comedy W1A and Sherlock Holmes drama Elementary – has put the heartbreak behind her, and is now dating actor Henry Pettigrew. In a bizarre coincidence, they also played lovers, this time in the West End show The Effect.
My source says: ‘Tom was involved in a messy break-up, which is why he and Jenna have been keen to keep their relationship under wraps.
‘Their whole courtship has been a bit cloak-anddagger, and they have been careful not to be photographed together.’
Shortly before Jenna fell for her Victoria co-star, she had been linked to Prince Harry after he made a beeline for her at a charity polo match. But source adds: ‘Jenna has been telling everyone she has fallen madly in love. She and Tom are looking for a place to buy together.’
Daisy Goodwin, who wrote the Victoria series, told me last week that her leading lady’s chemistry with Tom was beneficial for the show. ‘Tom and Jenna being so close makes it easier for them to work together. They are very private about their relationship.’