Melanie Sykes has broken up with her gondolier boyfriend as the distance between them was proving difficult to manage, according to reports.
The TV star, 52, met 25 year old Riccardo when she took a ride in his gondola during a trip to Venice in October 2020.
After being snapped kissing her Italian beau during the getaway, Melanie confirmed her whirlwind romance by telling fans she “experienc[ed] so much joy” in his company.
However, it seems the duo have now called time on their relationship, with a source citing the 1,000km distance between their homes as the reason why.
They told the Sun: “It was really fun and romantic at first travelling back and forth but it wasn’t very sustainable in the long run.
“The pair have nothing but kind things to say about each other and Venice will forever hold a very special place in Mel’s heart.”
Melanie is yet to publicly address the alleged break-up, but has posted a cryptic message on Instagram.
Sharing a link to a post about 'Emotional Freedom', she invited fans to join her on "a meditation to go deep into your soul to cultivate love, forgiveness, joy and peace".
She added: "All love begins with self-love. All compassion begins with self-compassion."
OK! has contacted Melanie’s representative for comment.
The I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! star kept her relationship out of the spotlight but occasionally posted about her boyfriend on Instagram.
Last August, she gushed over Riccardo following a trip to Italy to see him.
Melanie shared a snap of herself taking pictures of the beautiful sea as the sun beamed down. She added in the caption: “Ciao for now beautiful Venice you & your people have my heart.”
Riccardo replied in the comments: “Thank you very much for the good times spent together.”
Another picture showed the stunning star beaming as she posed on the beach in a bikini while clutching a book.
Riccardo previously spoke about his romance with Melanie, saying “beauty is relative” and proving the 27-year age gap didn’t bother him.
"Beauty is relative. Maybe what in your eyes is beautiful, isn’t to me,” he told the Mail on Sunday.
"Every person is different, nationality doesn’t matter. True, no?"
Melanie was married to actor Daniel Caltagirone for eight years, before their divorce in 2009. They share two teenage children; Roman, 18, and Valentino, 16.
She later wed for a second time, getting hitched to Jack Cockings in 2013. They split less than a year later.
Mel recently opened up about being diagnosed as autistic in her fifties and told fans “things make sense” since she received the health news.
Her son Valentino is also autistic and she added in her Instagram post: “As many of you know, I have a child with autism so I understand what it’s about, but I hadn’t really run it through any of my behaviours at all.”
“It’s such a positive diagnosis for me because it makes sense of my life. I’ve had to go back through my life and sort-of unpick it and retell it because it has a completely different lens.”
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