Johnny Vaughan and Denise van Outen: The Big Breakfast hosts reunite after 22 years - where have they been?

A television double act that endeared themselves to the world with their work on the small screen are set to reunite after more than two decades. Johnny Vaughan and Denise van Outen, who viewers will know for hosting The Big Breakfast, will work together once more.

The pair became TV faves ever since Vaughan first stepped in to cover Rick Adams on the Channel 4 programme on a temporary basis in 1997, but viewers grew to love their sparkling chemistry that they continued for 10 more years. The last time they were seen together on live broadcast was 22 years ago when presented Passport to Paradise, which was axed after its first season.

They have since gone on to have a fruitful and close friendship with one another. Despite rumours, nothing romantic is understood to have transpired between Vaughan and van Outen.

Now after years of fans demanding the reunion of their favourite hosting duo, Vaughan and van Outen will finally reunite. They will co-host Channel 4's lunchtime news series Steph's Packed Lunch.

Here is everything you need to know about the Vaughan and van Outen reunion. This includes when it is and what they have been up to in the 22 years before they last worked with one another.

When will Johnny Vaughan and Denise van Outen reunite?

The episode of Steph's Packed Lunch which featured the reunion of Vaughan and van Outen aired at 12pm on Tuesday, 13 June 2023. It will be made available to watch on-demand if you missed the live broadcast for whatever reason via the All4 website.

It is understood that the duo's return to present the programme was initially discussed only as a one-off special, though it is yet to be confirmed whether they could be made a permanent fixture of the show which will depend on the success of the episode.

What has been said about the reunion?

Talking about his time on The Big Breakfast and the relationship he had with van Outen, Vaughan told The Mirror: "We just found each other quite funny from the start, but it was also Big Breakfast, the show. It’s easy for Denise and I to take the credit, but actually she’d been there for a while already, all the crew were settled in. I think I was just the last piece in the jigsaw.

"We've had small ups and downs, but you know what, you can only fall out with someone you really like, you don’t fall out with people you don't like. And that's the way of friendship. There's been a couple of ups and downs. But that's because it's a real, genuine friendship.

He added: "You show me a friendship of 30 years, where there haven’t been a few ups and downs, and I'll show you signs it's not real."

What have Johnny Vaughan and Denise van Outen been up to?

In the years between his triumphant reunion with close friend and co-host van Outen, Vaughan has enjoyed around a handful of different shows and acting roles. He played character Paul Clarke for eight episodes in mini-series 'Orrible in 2001, before playing himself in 2005's Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo which also starred Rob Schneider and Eddie Griffin - a few more roles later includes the likes of Just Rosie (2011) and Teen Spirit (2018).

All this transpired in and around Vaughan's move to the BBC from Channel 4 where he was reportedly paid £2.5 million to make the switch. He hosted late-night talk show Johnny Vaughan Tonight which had relative success, as well as becoming the first presenter of BBC Five Live's Fighting Talk before trying to restart his on-screen flame with Denise with Passport to Paradise, a Saturday night show that was cancelled after just one series.

He has since worked at Capital FM where he again tried to get the band back together with a breakfast show in a move to boost listening figures, but van Outen left midway through her contract and was replaced by Lisa Snowden. Vaughan also had gigs at talkSport, Radio X and Absolute Radio, as well as writing operas and hosting game shows.

Vaughan shared two children with costume designer Antonia Davies who he married in 1999. They since divorced in 2014.

It's safe to say that Denise has also kept busy over the 22 years between her last on-screen appearance with Vaughan. A number of acting roles in television shows and films such as Hotel Babylon (2009), Keith Lemon: The Film (2012), EastEnders (2015), Neighbours (2019-2020), and The Only Way is Essex (2020) as well as countless others.

She also danced the night away in the 10th series of popular BBC show Strictly Come Dancing in 2012, where she and partner James Jordan finished as runners-up to winners Louis Smith and Flavia Cacace. She then took part in Dancing on Ice in 2020, partnered with Matt Evers she struggled with injuries such as a dislocated shoulder suffered in rehearsals that led her to withdraw from the competition.

Van Outen married and shares one child, daughter Betsy, with Any Dream Will Do winner Lee Mead. They went on to separate in 2013.