Lydia Bright has made her relationship with Italian chef Francesco public after quietly dating him for the past year.
The 35-year-old TOWIE star revealed earlier this week that Francesco is set to move into her home, following her former partner Ben Davies’ romance with Jesy Nelson.
Lydia confirmed that she and Ben had separated in January 2025. The pair had begun dating the previous year after being seen together at a gig performed by her former boyfriend James Argent.
Now, as she and Francesco mark their first anniversary, the reality TV personality has shared an emotional Instagram tribute detailing how their romance began.
Alongside a cosy selfie of the couple, Lydia wrote: “A whole year of us.”
She added that she wanted to apologise to her followers for keeping such an important part of her life private. Lydia explained that, having shared many chapters of her life with fans, she felt it was important to protect the relationship while it was still developing. She said she wanted to give Francesco and her daughter time to build their own bond before introducing their relationship publicly.
Lydia Bright has made her relationship with Italian chef Francesco public after quietly dating him for the past year
The reality star opened up about her romance with Francesco in a heartfelt Instagram post celebrating their first year together
Lydia continued by recalling that their first date took place during the same month the previous year and lasted five hours.
She said she left the date intrigued by Francesco’s life, stories, enthusiasm and outlook, adding that she was particularly charmed by the fact he was Italian. Although she tried not to become too invested too quickly, Lydia said she recognised that the connection was different. By their second date, she had messaged her friend Debs to say she had met her future husband.
The couple’s relationship developed gradually because both had demanding schedules. Francesco was busy with his career, while Lydia was balancing her own work with life as a full-time mother. Even so, she said they found themselves eagerly counting down to each meeting and making the most of every opportunity to spend time together, including a series of romantic adventures.
Lydia said the summer brought a major turning point, when Francesco met her daughter Loretta. She recalled that ordinary family moments, from cooking at home and teaching Loretta to ride a bike to watching Disney films on the sofa, quickly became meaningful. Despite having limited experience around children, Francesco immediately connected with Loretta and was patient, affectionate and playful, qualities that made Lydia fall even more deeply in love with him.
She went on to reflect on her life with Loretta, describing their years together as some of the happiest, strongest and most rewarding of her life.
Lydia said she had embraced being a single mother but always believed there could be space for a partner if the right person came along. She described Francesco as that person, calling him a romantic, beautiful “old soul” and a deeply special addition to their family.
The TOWIE star also said she had learned that life does not always unfold according to plan, but happiness can still be found in every stage.
She added that she would not change her past because every experience had led her to Francesco, suggesting that love found later in life can feel even more meaningful because of the lessons learned along the way.
The 35-year-old TOWIE star revealed earlier this week that Francesco is moving in with her after her former partner Ben Davies began dating Jesy Nelson (pictured Jesy and Ben)
Lydia and Ben’s relationship was first reported by the Daily Mail after they attended one of James Argent’s gigs together in April 2024. By January 2025, the TOWIE star had confirmed that she was single after their split
The news follows Jesy Nelson’s public relationship with Ben after her split from Zion Foster, the father of her twin babies.
Jesy and Ben began following one another on Instagram during the summer before the singer shared a playful photograph hinting at their romance.
Jesy separated from musician Zion, 27, earlier this year shortly after their daughters Ocean Jade and Story Monroe were diagnosed with the rare genetic condition Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1.
She had also mysteriously teased a new man in April but it is not known if that was Ben.
In July, Zion hit back at accusations he abandoned his twin daughters after they were diagnosed with SMA.
Story and Ocean were found to have the genetic disorder, which causes progressive muscle weakness, in January 2026 – with the weeks before and after the diagnosis documented in new Amazon Prime series Jesy Nelson: Life Changing.
In one of the episodes, Zion could be seen struggling to come to terms with the devastating diagnosis, saying: ‘I’m not equipped to deal with this. I’m out of my depth; emotionally, physically and mentally.
‘At the moment I’m surviving. I just need to get help.’
Jesy added: ‘I can tell he’s really struggling. For a 26-year-old to have to now be put in this situation… I feel like I can see his life flashing before his eyes.’
The singer and Zion announced their split later that month, with Jesy saying on the show: ‘It’s hard. It’s just me and mum now.’