Johnny Ward has insisted he is "just friends" with dance partner Emily Barker.
The Dancing with the Stars runner-up confirmed his split with ex-girlfriend Rachel Treacy at last week's VIP style awards.
And Johnny, 31, stepped out with dance partner Emily at the event, sparking rumours that they were now an item.
However the duo crushed any rumours that they were romantically involved, after turning heads on the carpet posing in matching outfits.
Actor Johnny told the Irish Daily Mirror he was sorry the relationship ended, but rejected suggestions he was seeing anyone else.
He said: “I can’t think of anything worse than dating someone at the minute. I’ve just got too much going on.”
And the Love/Hate star has insisted he and Emily are "just friends", but admits it was the question on everyone's lips at the ceremony.
He told the Irish Sun: "If myself and Emily were together, I would tell people 'this is happening, we are together' - but we're not, we remain just friends.
"It's the question all the other guests kept asking us at the VIP Style Awards, and it's just not true.
"It just happened that Emily was in Dublin last Friday to do dance workshops and I asked her to be my guest at the Style Awards."
