Hollyoaks’ Jennifer Metcalfe breaks silence on secret boyfriend – and reveals why she WON’T get married
HOLLYOAKS star Jennifer Metcalfe has opened up about her romance with her secret boyfriend and why she’ll NEVER marry.
The actress, best known for playing Mercedes McQueen on the soap, has kept her latest relationship largely out of the spotlight.
TV star Jennifer, 41, admitted she’s finally in a happy place after going for the wrong men in her 20s.
She said: “It’s good, it’s great, he makes me really happy.
“When you’re younger, in your twenties, you’re looking for a unicorn of a man and going, ‘Nah, that one’s not for me!’ Now I feel more at peace with where my life is at and it’s nice to share that with somebody,” she told the Mirror.
But marriage isn’t on the cards for Jennifer, unlike her soap character Mercedes, who has tied the knot SEVEN times.
“It’s not something I’ve ever seen on my path,” said Jennifer.
“I’ve always wanted a child, and I have my little boy Daye, but I’ve never seen marriage in my plan.
“I’ve never dreamt of a big white wedding dress. I’ve had seven on Hollyoaks and if I ever did get married I’d wear black or gold or something completely different!”
We revealed the Mercedes McQueen star had been dating her new man since 2024 in an exclusive interview.
She told us: “I have recently been spending time with someone and he makes me feel happy.
“I look forward to seeing him and our time together is always lovely.”
The couple were pictured together on a night out in Manchester just before Valentine’s Day.
The Bradford-born beauty, who shares six-year-old son Daye with former Geordie Shore star Greg Lake, has not had a serious relationship since they split in 2020 after eight years together.
Jen said: “I tried that celebrity dating app Raya but I never went on a date.
“I prefer to meet someone and get an idea of them in real life before dating, so that app got deleted quickly.
“I am always full-on with work, Daye, friends, family and life, so the idea of spending one or two hours with a stranger wasn’t for me.
“I think you need to meet someone in person. They can look really good on the app, but you have no idea what they’re like in real life.”
“My friends would try to set me up but I wasn’t a big dater. I’d rather be going out with one of my best friends.”
Looking better than ever
Jen’s personal life is a far cry from the racy romances of man-eating alter-ego Mercedes on Hollyoaks.
Mercedes’ latest wedding wrecked by a car crash, a secret affair and a surprise pregnancy twist.
Jen said: “I think it’s my sixth wedding, but obviously not all of them have resulted in a marriage as they’ve not worked out for one or another reason.
“It’s been enough to put me off!
“My friends would try to set me up but I wasn’t a big dater. I’d rather be going out with one of my best friends.”
Looking better than ever
Jen’s personal life is a far cry from the racy romances of man-eating alter-ego Mercedes on Hollyoaks.
Mercedes’ latest wedding wrecked by a car crash, a secret affair and a surprise pregnancy twist.
Jen said: “I think it’s my sixth wedding, but obviously not all of them have resulted in a marriage as they’ve not worked out for one or another reason.
“It’s been enough to put me off!