Children’s TV Legend Reportedly ‘Madly in Love’ With Co-Star 20 Years Younger

Justin Fletcher, one of Britain’s best-known children’s television performers, is reportedly in a relationship with his long-time co-star Samantha Dorrance, according to a report by The Sun. Fletcher, 55, and Dorrance, 34, are said to be living together at his £2.5 million six-bedroom farmhouse in Oxfordshire near Henley.

Fletcher has built a major career in preschool and children’s TV, first becoming familiar to young audiences through voice work on The Tweenies before going on to portray Shaun the Sheep and appear in CBeebies programmes including Justin’s House and Something Special. In Something Special, he plays a range of characters in a series designed for children with delayed learning and communication difficulties. The show is the longest-running CBeebies programme and the longest-running preschool series in Britain.

His work on children’s television has earned him two BAFTA TV Awards and an MBE, which he received in 2008. He is also widely recognised for his character Mr Tumble, who has appeared alongside Tootsie, played by Dorrance since her debut on the programme in 2015.

The report says Fletcher and Dorrance have grown close after years of working together and are now said to be “madly in love.” A source told the newspaper that the pair are “couldn’t be happier” and that the age gap between them is not an issue. The couple’s relationship was further fuelled by sightings of them together near a hotel in Wolverhampton, which reportedly confirmed long-running romance speculation.

Fletcher has previously spoken about how his demanding work schedule made it difficult to find time for a relationship. The new report suggests that his personal life has now taken a different turn, with the entertainer and his co-star now said to be living together and continuing their connection away from the screen.

The news has drawn attention because Fletcher is one of the most recognisable figures in British children’s television, with a career spanning multiple generations of viewers. His partnership with Dorrance brings together two familiar faces from one of CBeebies’ most popular and enduring shows.

While neither Fletcher nor Dorrance has publicly confirmed the relationship, the report has sparked interest among fans who have followed their on-screen chemistry for years. The alleged romance adds a new chapter to Fletcher’s long-running career and to the story of one of children’s television’s most enduring partnerships.