Michelle Heaton has revealed how she's "absolutely loved up" with her Irish boyfriend after her emotional stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house.

The former Liberty X babe has broken her silence for the first time to an Irish newspaper to tell the Herald how she is over the moon to be back in her adopted home of Dublin.

"I'm just so happy to be back. I love London, but at the same time, I hate it and I really feel now that Dublin is my home," she told the Herald. The star stepped out last night for the first time in the capital city since appearing in the Channel 4 show.

And just to put all the speculation to rest, she confirmed that she and her hunky advertising executive beau, Hugh Hanley, are closer than ever before.

The Dubliner even braved pneumonia to travel to London and meet her after her surprise exit from the reality show. Although he was struck down with the illness on the night she left the programme, he caught the next flight over so "people wouldn't read things into it".

"Things are brilliant with me and Hugh, I was just glad to get back to him, to be honest. I missed him so much while I was in the house," she continued.

"All the stuff that was written about me was a mountain made out of a molehill. I was quite surprised and shocked when I read all this speculation when I came out of the house because me and Ben were only ever friends. I laughed about it with Hugh afterwards."

Michelle said she regrets nothing about going into the house.

"I've had loads of offers since I came out, including some really good ones in London, so I'm just going to see what happens, but it all worked out really well," she added.

She and Hugh made an appearance at the launch of new gym Raw Conditioning on Dublin's Lr Richmond St last night.

Today saw the smitten couple jet off to Portugal, where Michelle is working on a three-day shoot for an international photo agency.

She has shed more than two stone in the past few months as she embarks on a new career which could include an appearance on a West End stage.