Christmas is the perfect time for romance, and two people who seem to be getting very close as we approach the festive season are former X Factor winner Matt Terry and Love Island’s Montana Brown.
Yesterday, The Sun’s website pictured the pair laughing and joking like an old married couple following a gym session.
And although a source claimed in that report that they were just “close friends”, the two reality stars have added fuel to the fire by sending each other flirtatious Instagram messages.
Matt, 24, and Montana, 22, helped to switch on the Christmas lights in London’s Oxford Street last night, and beforehand Montana teased the singer by showing what she had in store for him.
Wearing a close-fitting pink dress and heels, she posed next to a Christmas tree. And she seemed to suggest that she had a present for Matt.
She wrote: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Turning on the @capitalofficial @oxfordstreetw1 Christmas lights with @mattterry, giving him a very special surprise!”
And Matt seemed to be impressed by what he saw, replying with ‘OK’ and ‘kiss’ emojis.
Most of Montana’s followers were rather taken by the seasonal snap, too. One gushed: “Why are you so beautiful?”
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Another gave the dress a massive thumbs-up, saying: “Love this outfit.”
But not everyone raved about the picture, and one or two people thought Montana looked a little too slender.
One told her: “In a positive way, Montana, you’re very beautiful but I think a little weight on would suit you lovely.”
While another follower simply wrote: “Far too skinny.”
Those pictures of Matt and Montana leaving the gym seemed to come out of the blue – until then, there was no indication that the pair were so chummy.
A source told The Sun that it was merely a platonic bond, insisting: “They have recently become very close friends, but there isn’t any romance in it at the moment.
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“They are definitely enjoying hanging out, though.”
But, well, those cheeky Instagram messages aren’t exactly going to quell the rumours, are they?
When he appeared on The X Factor in 2016, Matt revealed during his first audition that he’d had his heart broken by his long-term girlfriend.
And a recent appearance on Channel 4 show Celebrity First Dates failed to match the singer with a suitable partner.
A source told The Sun prior to that appearance: “Matt has been single for some time now and would really like to meet someone serious – he’s definitely up for trying his luck on reality TV. His mates think it’s a great idea and his family are fully supporting him.”
Montana is also said to be single after splitting up with fellow Love Islander Alex Beattie, whom she enjoyed a brief relationship with during this summer’s series.
Who knows, maybe a Christmas romance might just become REALITY…