THE

theatre world was taken aback when Sir Ian McKellen, 83, and his Mother Goose co-star Oscar Conlon-Morrey, 29, announced their ‘deep bond’ in a New Year’s Day social media post. But just months after Oscar described the acting legend as ‘the new love of my life’, I hear the romance has cooled, with a source saying: ‘Oscar felt this one had longevity, but Sir Ian thought it was more of a light-hearted fling.’

I’m told Sir Ian and Oscar, pictured right in their roles as Mother Goose and son Jack, remain friends – which is just as well as the panto is still on tour with Cardiff, Salford and Bristol dates still to come.