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AFTER THE DEATH OF HER FATHER AND HER BREAK-UP WITH BILLY ZANE, KELLY BROOK JUST WANTED TO ENJOY LIFE AS A SINGLE GIRL. BUT THEN SHE MET A SPECIAL MAN…

Interview By Louise Gannon photography by Derrick Santini

Kelly Brook's trying very hard to wipe the enormous smile off her face – but it won't budge. It's the morning after her first big date with England rugby star Danny Cipriani and she's curled up on the sofa of the photographic studio.

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"OK, yes, I'm really happy," she laughs. "But I'm not saying anything. Danny's lovely and I'm having fun, but it's early days. I don't really know what to say."

She doesn't have to say anything because, at that moment, there's a knock on the door and an assistant walks in, struggling under the weight of a hugely extravagant floral bouquet containing a dozen perfect red roses for Kelly… with love from Danny.

"Oh my God!" she shrieks. All Kelly's attempts to appear poised vanish and she's transformed into a flustered teenager whose blush is outdoing the red roses.

She leaps to her feet, sits down again, jumps up, then sits back down. "I just can't believe he's sent me these!" she exclaims. "I'm speechless. I can't even look at them… this is so embarrassing. What does the note say? No… don't read it! They're beautiful, aren't they? What do you think about that?"

It's obvious what to think. Fabulous is witnessing Kelly Brook falling head over heels in love. And who can blame her? Danny Cipriani is, after all, utterly delicious – not to mention very fit, in every sense.

"But he's really young," she giggles. "He's only 20 and I'm 28. He's a toyboy!"

She collapses into laughter, hiding her face in her hands.

A few days after our shoot, the press went wild with innuendo when Kelly had a new king-size bed delivered to her west-London flat. Need we say more?

In truth, Danny wasn't meant to happen. After two long relationships, first to actor Jason Statham, 36, and most recently an engagement to actor Billy Zane, 42, Kelly had promised herself a spell as a single girl.

When her marriage plans to Billy fell apart after her father's death last year, she decided to move back into her old bedroom in the family home in Kent while her place was being renovated, and take a break from men.

She says: "Last year was incredibly difficult. I moved back to England from LA because my dad had cancer. It was very hard on us all. I needed to be at home.

"It was strange leaving the US, but I decided to make a go of it. I agreed to do Strictly Come Dancing and divided my time between that and my dad and family."

After her father died, her relationship with Billy faltered. Kelly kept putting off their wedding and they split in April, only to get back together briefly before splitting again.

"It was me, it was him, it was living apart – it was all those things," she says. "I've had two amazing relationships in my life, but after my dad died, I reassessed everything. There was something stopping me getting married. I had to accept it and own up to it.

"It wasn't a bed of roses for Billy. I was all over the place grieving and he was there for me. But in the end, I had this feeling that all my life I'd been in long-term relationships and I didn't really know what it was like to be on my own. I didn't really know myself.

"I wondered how I could be a good wife and mother if I hadn't experienced time on my own, doing what I want, living as I want to live. I felt a resistance to getting married, so we couldn't go on. In the end it was mutual. We let each other go with a lot of love."

Since the split, life has changed completely for Kelly. She's swapped Hollywood sunshine for country rain, and film sets for the West End theatre, where she's starring in Fat Pig. TV work is also on the horizon and Kelly will star in ITV1's Moving Wallpaper in the new year.

"I bought a place in Kent near my family and I've sorted out work in Britain," she says. "I've found out who I am over the past year, and I like it. I like my life. I'm financially independent and I've got all these projects on the go.

"Losing a parent is incredibly hard and it changes you. You get that whole ‘seize the day' feeling. I feel so lucky to be alive and to have what I have, and I don't want to waste a moment doing things that don't make me happy and fulfilled."

Despite her new ‘live for the moment' mentality, Kelly found the prospect of dating again a challenge.

"I knew I had to get back out there but I planned on dating for a while." She laughs again and looks at the roses. "It felt weird being single. I was worried about whether anyone would chat me up."

But then Kelly met Danny on a night out with her manager in September.

It seems incredible that Kelly, who often tops polls of the sexiest women alive, should worry about her ability to attract men. But she says: "I'm not one of those girls who thinks she's it. Don't forget, I'm living at home with my mum. She's the first to put me in my place if I get too big for my boots."

Kelly admits she works hard to keep her famous curves in shape. "I'm a size 8 with a 32E chest. I've always been the same size, except when I did Strictly Come Dancing. Everyone else was losing weight except me – all that exercising made me so hungry!

"But I generally look after myself. I work out, walk, dance and I don't deny myself anything food-wise. I'll always order dessert in restaurants, but I'll just have a couple of spoonfuls and that's it."

As well as her body, Kelly's wardrobe is much admired. Yet she admits she doesn't always get it right. Remember the skimpy dress and bright red gloves combo she was sporting at a polo event in July?

"I got a text from my mate asking if I could stand in for the magician at a party she was hosting," she laughs.

Having a sense of humour is what keeps Kelly sane. She proves she's game for a laugh when we pour water over her for our shoot, despite the fact she's got a bit of a cold.

Kelly's workload also keeps her grounded. As well as acting, she's currently promoting her new fragrance Vivacious, more New Look lingerie, and reality show Dirty Dancing: The Time Of Your Life.

So despite the new man, it seems that marriage and babies are on hold for now. "I've got nephews and nieces who I absolutely adore. But I also love handing them back," she says. "I have no idea what lies in the future. I'll have to see what happens."

Will that future include Danny? Kelly grins and this time she doesn't try to hide her feelings. It must be love.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: CAPITAL PICTURES, GETTY IMAGES, STARSTOCK KELLY WEARS: LEATHER DRESS, RIVER ISLAND. T-SHIRT, TOPSHOP; LEGGINGS, RELIGION