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R umours that Sam Smith and Charlie King were secretly dating have been

doing the rounds since July, but we were a bit cynical: why would super-successful Grammy Award winner Sam date a former TOWIE star?

Well, it turns out the romance was indeed very real, lasting

� Sam didn’t acknowledge

the former TOWIE star

Sam Smith’s awkward run-inwith his “ex-boyfriend”

for a whole six months, but it’s since gone bad between them – and we were there to see it.

We bumped into Charlie at the VIP Mahiki bar backstage at V Festival in Chelmsford. Shortly before 5.30pm, we watched as Sam got out of a people carrier, just inches away from where Charlie and heat were chatting. “Oh dear,” Charlie said,

as he caught sight of Sam. The Stay With Me singer didn’t acknowledge Charlie, and went

through security to the dressing room area. He was followed by crew and his mum – who Charlie claims he also previously met – who didn’t acknowledge him, either.

Poor Charlie didn’t hide the fact he was hurt. “And there’s Sam’s mum. OK. Right, yeah, that’s life. It is what it is...” he mumbled, before adding, “Oooh, it’s made me go all funny that. It’s weird.”

He seemed pretty anxious that Sam was at the festival, telling us it had all been a “bit manic” between them. “It’s still very raw,” he explained. “We dated. We hung out in the beginning part of this year. I didn’t think of our relationship as a celebrity one. We wanted it to be kept private and, as soon as it got out, it made me feel very uneasy.

It’s a shame. Sam could see that it wasn’t going in the right direction. It was the wrong timing. I realised it would have been quite an intense thing if it had really fl ourished.”

Sam didn’t mention Charlie on social media while they were dating and, in February,he vowed to keep new relationships more private, telling ES Magazine, “I need to hold off before I start getting the public involved.”

Despite all the apparent awkwardness, Charlie insists he is still trying to support Sam. He even watched his V Festival set to prove it. “There’s no hard feelings,” he said. “I just think it’s best if I keep my distance.” � SELINA MAYCOCK

AND HEAT WAS THERECharlie King claims the pair DID date – and for six months

� Charlie says things are still “very raw”

� Sam on stage at V Festival

� This Twitter pic fuelled romance rumours last month

5 – 11 September 2015 WWW.HEATWORLD.COM 35