Justin Fletcher, the beloved children's television presenter known for his character Mr Tumble on CBeebies, is reportedly 'madly in love' with his co-star Samantha Dorrance, who is 21 years his junior. Fletcher, 55, and Dorrance, 34, who plays Tootsie on the popular show Something Special, are living together at his £2.5 million farmhouse in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
Romance Blossoms on Set
The couple, who also tour the United Kingdom performing stage shows for children and families, have been described by friends as 'thrilled' that Fletcher has 'found The One' in Dorrance. A source told The Sun: 'Justin and Samantha are madly in love and couldn't be happier. Although there is an age gap, it isn't an issue between them. For Justin, Samantha is ‘The One’. Justin was single for a while before he reconnected with Samantha and it went from there.'
The source added: 'The farm is their sanctuary and where they both feel happiest. Friends know about the relationship, as well as their castmates on the tour.' The romance reportedly blossomed last year, with Dorrance moving into his six-bedroom house shortly after.
Social Media Clues
On social media, Dorrance refrains from tagging Fletcher but frequently shares photos from his house and refers to him as 'her partner.' In March, she shared a post about hatching chickens, saying: 'Last year, me and my partner hatched our own chickens. I was making breakfast one morning and noticed all the eggs we had been buying from our local honesty box were fertilised. My partner just so happened to have an old incubator, so we dug it out.'
Wayne Rooney's Mr Tumble Confession
In a separate but related story, football legend Wayne Rooney amusingly blamed Mr Tumble for his vasectomy, claiming he 'couldn't go through' watching the TV show for a fifth time. Rooney, 40, revealed on The Wayne Rooney Show that after watching the series with all four of his children, he chose to 'get the snip.' He said: 'I hate Mr Tumble. I was in the dressing room for Match of the Day and he was next to me. The reason I hate him, well I don't hate him for what he does, is just that I've had to sit through it four times with every kid. It's got to the point now where I just can't. He's the reason I've got the snip. I couldn't have another kid to go through it again.' Rooney underwent the procedure in 2018 after the birth of his youngest son, Cass.
The Daily Mail has contacted Justin Fletcher's representative for comment.
