DANCING On Ice stars Joey Essex and Vanessa Bauer looked cosy as they held hands for a sweet photo.
The former Towie star, 32, and the professional skater, 26, posed alongside each other for the first day of skating in the ITV studio training rink.
Flashing a big smile, the pair clasped hands, while Joey placed his other hand on Vanessa's shoulder.
The dancing duo have sparked romance rumours and were recently spotted looking cosy in rehearsals.
The pair's sizzling chemistry was enough to melt the ice.
Vanessa, 26, posted a three second clip of them celebrating their first full run through of a routine after months of training.
Looking elated that they made it to the end without any tumbles the skating partners shared a warm embrace.
There have been rumbles for weeks that Joey is romantically interested in stunning pro skater Vanessa.
He was seen introducing her to his friends at James Argent's birthday party, with the former Towie star beaming beside attractive Vanessa, 26, as they arrived at the lavish Essex bash.
Vanessa recently addressed the romance rumours swirling around her and Joey directly, insisting their relationship is purely professional.
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She told The Sun: "We are just skating partners."
When asked if she could see a romance blossoming in the future, Vanessa added: "No, no, we are just skating partners."
Earlier this month we told how Joey quickly became infatuated by Vanessa after being paired with her for the ITV show – despite being pictured snogging Love Islander Maura Higgins just days earlier.
A source said: “They’ve certainly got close very quickly but maybe it’s no surprise – Vanessa is stunning and Joey has always been a charmer.
“As soon as he was paired up with her those who know him reckoned he’d fancy her like mad, and he’s clearly not wasting any time making a move.”
So far the rumours haven't affected their work on the ice.
Vanessa explained she was initially worried that TV star Joey would not take the competition seriously but was quickly proved wrong.
"Dancing on Ice couldn't go any better right now, Joey is progressing really fast and he's working hard," she said.
"He takes Dancing on Ice extremely seriously; I was a bit worried at the beginning that he was going to joke around too much.
She told The Sun: "We are just skating partners."
When asked if she could see a romance blossoming in the future, Vanessa added: "No, no, we are just skating partners."
Earlier this month we told how Joey quickly became infatuated by Vanessa after being paired with her for the ITV show – despite being pictured snogging Love Islander Maura Higgins just days earlier.
A source said: “They’ve certainly got close very quickly but maybe it’s no surprise – Vanessa is stunning and Joey has always been a charmer.
“As soon as he was paired up with her those who know him reckoned he’d fancy her like mad, and he’s clearly not wasting any time making a move.”
So far the rumours haven't affected their work on the ice.
Vanessa explained she was initially worried that TV star Joey would not take the competition seriously but was quickly proved wrong.
"Dancing on Ice couldn't go any better right now, Joey is progressing really fast and he's working hard," she said.
"He takes Dancing on Ice extremely seriously; I was a bit worried at the beginning that he was going to joke around too much.
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"But we are having a lot of fun and at the same time we are training so hard.
"He really takes me seriously and he takes the show seriously."
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