Max George has reportedly turned down £160K to appear on E4’s Celebs Go Dating.
The Wanted star, who recently split from his on-off girlfriend Stacey Giggs, has a rumoured romance with fellow Strictly Come Dancing contestant Maisie Smith.
A source told The Sun, “Unfortunately Max turned it down – despite the huge pay cheque – he has no ambitions to be on a dating show especially so soon after his split with Stacey.”
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“He’s found the past few days tough and says he’s trying to keep a low profile and stay out of the spotlight for a while,” the source added.
Max and Stacey split earlier this month, and rumours began to swirl about his new romance with Maisie when the pair were spotted on a flight to Crete together.
An onlooker told The Sun: “They looked like a very loved-up couple — they were all over each other for the entire four-hour flight. Snogging and giggling like any new couple.”
“We recognised Maisie at first. They were both wearing sunglasses even on the plane and Max was also wearing a red bucket hat, so it looked like they were trying to be a bit incognito.”
“They are definitely an item. My wife said it was a bit over the top at one stage. They were smooching, holding hands and kissing.”
It is understood the pair also recently jetted off to Portugal together, with a source telling the publication: “This isn’t a flash in the pan. Max has told people that he is falling in love with Maisie.”
Max and Maisie both appeared on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing back in 2020.
Speaking about Max’s ex Stacey, the insider added: “This will be a bitter pill for Stacey to swallow. Max and Stacey were together for years and to see him move on so quickly with another woman will break her heart.”
“She was always fearful of the Strictly curse and now it’s struck – it’s like everything she feared has come true. Maisie and Max say they started dating only after he and Stacey broke up in June. They have told their friends, ‘It’s love.’”
The source continued: “Maisie and Max knew each other on Strictly back in 2020 but they were both so busy on the show they never got to know one another properly. But on the Strictly live tour at the start of the year they became good friends.”
“They spent a lot of their time together and would always be seen joking around in the dressing rooms and after the shows. Max was sent home from Strictly following a dance-off with Maisie on the proper show so that also became a running joke between them.”
“Their close friendship then grew stronger on the second Strictly tour this summer… Maisie and Max are acting like love-struck teenagers. Their close friends and family have known they are together for a while and are pleased for them.”
According to The Sun, Stacey was reportedly “very shocked” about her ex’s new girlfriend, and reportedly told a pal: “To see them dating publicly so quickly after I dumped him is like a dagger to the heart.”
“I confronted him millions of times about his closeness to her. But he always denied it. I had a gut instinct they were more than just friends.”
“After everything I’ve done for him, I cannot believe he would be so rude and disrespectful. He’s a lying dog. I feel betrayed.”
Max first met Stacey at V Festival in 2011, while he was dating actress Michelle Keegan.
The 43-year-old was married to Man United winger Ryan Giggs at the time, with whom she shares daughter Libby, 19, and son Zach, 15.
Seven years later, Max and Stacey were reintroduced by mutual friends at the John Gilbert pub in Worsley, and they started dating shortly after.
The couple became an item in January 2019, after being introduced by mutual friends at a pub in 2018, but reportedly called it quits earlier this year.
