Singer Olly Murs says he purposely kept his relationship with property manager Francesca Thomas a secret because he didn't want limelight to ruin it.
The couple has been dating for over a year now but their relationship came in the public eye only recently.
"Now everyone knows I have a girlfriend, but being in the public eye can ruin everything," mirror.co.uk quoted Murs as saying.
"It'd be different if I was dating a celebrity, but I want to give this a chance to blossom - and being in the industry makes it a hundred times harder," he added.