Ex-EastEnders actress now starring as the new blonde in Tarrant's life

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Miss Arnold: She claims they are just 'really good friends'

The TV presenter has been dating former EastEnders star Debbie Arnold 'for a number of months', according to friends.

They claim Miss Arnold, 51, said she and 60-year-old Tarrant 'get on like a house on fire and make each other laugh'.

"Debbie thinks Chris is a really lovely man who has been treated appallingly since the divorce," said one friend.

"They have been together since Christmas and Debbie hopes it's got a real future."

The friend said that a ring clearly visible on Miss Arnold's engagement finger yesterday was not given to her by Tarrant, adding: "But it's only a matter of time."

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The look of love? Miss Arnold and Tarrant together last week

The Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host invited Miss Arnold as his guest to a sports industry awards ceremony in London last week.

Despite efforts to ensure they were not pictured together, Miss Arnold was photographed leaving Tarrant's Surrey flat the next morning wearing the same clothes.

Tarrant's estranged wife Ingrid, 52, told the Mail she had no idea he was seeing another woman and described his behaviour as 'pathetic'.

Split: Tarrant and Ingrid

Speaking from Hatchford Hall, her £3.2million home in Cobham, Surrey, she said: "I am not devastated at all. I am honestly not. I couldn't give a damn.

"I do not know what is going on. They are playing a game, I imagine. I'm not. I just live a very normal straightforward life. If this is for real, then good luck to them. I hope they have a nice time."

She added, however, that pictures of Tarrant with a new woman would hurt their two children. "I think all these things are being rubbed in their noses all the time," she said. "They do not like that at all. They do not like it when they see pictures of the other woman."

Contrary to reports, she said Tarrant's new romance would not have any effect on their divorce settlement because their separation was awaiting decree absolute and financial details would be ironed out then.

She could be entitled to half his £24million fortune.

TV Host Chris has spitefully claimed he fears Ingrid could become "a professional divorcee whose one repeated statement...is that she used to be married to me".

The mum-of-four told The Mirror: "I'm quite sure Chris would like me to fade far away and disappear completely out of sight and sound, but I'm just getting on with things.

"I don't want people to think I'm building a career out of a crisis. I would hate that."

"But I would also hate to turn down an opportunity that I'm interested in just because other people might think I shouldn't take it."

Yesterday Miss Arnold appeared to be revelling in the media attention and posed for photographers before driving off in a Mercedes A-Class hatchback.

But speaking outside her £750,000 house, also in Cobham, she was adamant that she was just 'really good friends' with Tarrant, adding: "We have known each other a long time."

The Tarrants' marriage ended when it was revealed last year that Chris had a seven-year affair with teacher Fiona McKechnie.

The Mirror reported that Tarrant even bought a £1million house for secret trysts with his mistress.

Ingrid Tarrant recalled: "I lost so much weight. I remember looking down at myself in the bath and just seeing skin and bone.

"I looked like Big Fat B*****d from Austin Powers when he lost all that weight. I was completely and utterly devastated.

"I did think about trying to forgive him and staying with him, but I knew that would never work.

She continued: "But as far as I am concerned my marriage was over the day I found out he was cheating on me. That was it. I don't really speak to Chris any more."

Since the split Ingrid has had enormous support from friends and relatives, and Chris's two daughters by his first marriage - Helen, 29, and Jennifer, 27, chose to spend Christmas with Ingrid.

 

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