Maria Church says her daughter's new boyfriend is 'polite and nice'

Speculation about the relationship has been rife since the pair were spotted on a night out in early March.

The 19-year-old's mother, Maria, has said she is "over the moon" about her daughter dating the silver-booted Ospreys centre, who is 23.

The singer, however, declined to answer questions about Henson in an interview with BBC Radio Wales.

She recently split from Kyle Johnson, also 19, who then sold a kiss-and-tell story to the tabloids.

He's as good as gold, and as tall and gorgeous as he looks in pictures Maria Church on Gavin Henson

It was widely known that Mrs Church did not approve of Church's first boyfriend, DJ and model Steven Johnson, with mother and daughter falling out over the relationship.

They had made up by the time the millionairess began going out with trainee chef, Kyle Johnson - no relation - of whom Mrs Church did approve.

It was he who sold the secrets of their relationship after Church broke up with him on Valentine's Day.

Gavin Henson shrugs off a tackle during the Wales-Italy match

But the former child star's mother has no problem with her current flame.

"As far as Gavin goes, I'm over the moon. He's a lovely boy, so polite and nice," Mrs Church told the Wales on Sunday newspaper.

"He's as good as gold, and as tall and gorgeous in real life as he looks in pictures."

Mrs Church said she had always told her daughter to go out with a celebrity as she believed they would not sell a kiss-and-tell story.

She considered Gavin as "on the same level" as her daughter.

Church had also been on the pitch at the Millennium Stadium for Saturday's Wales-Ireland match - which ended with an historic Grand Slam win for the home nation.

She accompanied mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, entertainer Max Boyce and the crowd in singing the Welsh anthem before kick-off.