She is his first girlfriend in five years and less than half his age, but Russell Watson is in no doubt she is ‘the one’.
The multi-millionaire opera star is dating office worker Louise Harris, who at 21 is only six years older than his teenage daughter Rebecca.
The pair met by chance eight months ago at a restaurant. Despite being 43-year-old Watson’s first relationship in half a decade, he has already admitted: ‘She’s the one. She brings me sunshine.
‘It wouldn’t matter if she was 21 or 41. I see my future with her. This is the first time I have been happy in five years.’
In 2008, as he endured radiotherapy sessions and a course of steroids which led to his weight increasing to 17-stone, romance was far from his thoughts.
His 13-year marriage to Helen had ended in 2001 while he was having an affair with Vancouver barmaid Joy Montgomery.
And in 2005 he had split from Roxanne Valerio, his American girlfriend of four years.
He said last night: ‘Because of my illness, my confidence was just shot to pieces.
But when I saw Louise it was an instant attraction. I thought such a broad age gap might be problematic, but when we are together we don’t even think about it.’
The couple say their relationship has the support of Miss Harris’s parents and Watson’s two daughters, Rebecca, 15, and Hannah, eight.
Miss Harris has moved in to Watson’s £1.2million Cheshire mansion.
He is now preparing to launch his comeback album, La Voce, next month.
The multi-millionaire opera star is dating office worker Louise Harris, who at 21 is only six years older than his teenage daughter Rebecca.
The pair met by chance eight months ago at a restaurant. Despite being 43-year-old Watson’s first relationship in half a decade, he has already admitted: ‘She’s the one. She brings me sunshine.
‘It wouldn’t matter if she was 21 or 41. I see my future with her. This is the first time I have been happy in five years.’
In 2008, as he endured radiotherapy sessions and a course of steroids which led to his weight increasing to 17-stone, romance was far from his thoughts.
His 13-year marriage to Helen had ended in 2001 while he was having an affair with Vancouver barmaid Joy Montgomery.
And in 2005 he had split from Roxanne Valerio, his American girlfriend of four years.
He said last night: ‘Because of my illness, my confidence was just shot to pieces.
But when I saw Louise it was an instant attraction. I thought such a broad age gap might be problematic, but when we are together we don’t even think about it.’
The couple say their relationship has the support of Miss Harris’s parents and Watson’s two daughters, Rebecca, 15, and Hannah, eight.
Miss Harris has moved in to Watson’s £1.2million Cheshire mansion.
He is now preparing to launch his comeback album, La Voce, next month.
