Jon Lee, a member of the pop group S Club, has signed up for the fourteenth season of Celebs Go Dating after spending six years single. The singer revealed that a past breakup left him heartbroken and put him off dating, leading him to travel for four years and then move to Cornwall, which he described as 'not exactly the gay capital of the world'.
Lee said his friends encouraged him to join the show, with one telling him: 'You should do it, because otherwise you'll never meet anybody.' The dating coaches Anna Williamson, Dr Tara Suwinyattichaiporn and Paul C Brunson are also returning to help the celebrities navigate the dating world.
Dr Tara shared an emotional moment with Lee during filming in Ibiza, saying: 'The moment we shared in Ibiza definitely made me tear up off screen... His journey of becoming a sexually empowered gay man has been incredible to watch.' She added that this season she feels more confident than ever, though there were some 'minor uncomfortable moments' with a celebrity who 'was talking back a lot'.
To cope with the intensity of the show, the agents practise mindfulness. Dr Tara said she and Anna Williamson debrief and breathe together, while Paul Brunson prefers to decompress alone. Dr Tara also uses yoga, pilates and crystals, saying: 'I strongly believe they exude a certain energy.'
Paul Brunson was particularly moved by two celebrities: Kerry Katona and Too Hot to Handle's Louis Russell. He said: 'This process genuinely changed Louis' life... Then there's Kerry Katona. This journey shows a side of her that most have never seen.'
