Gavin was never the same after filming reality show in the Arctic, says Charlotte Church

• Singer decided she didn't want to marry rugby star after his trip to Norway
  
• But she did get his permission to date new man

Charlotte Church has told how Gavin Henson’s trip to the Arctic for ITV show 71 Degrees North made her realise she did not want to marry him.
The 24-year-old said his time away gave them both a chance to take stock of their relationship.
She added that her new relationship with her guitarist Johnny Powell did not begin until some months after her split from Henson – and confessed she got his blessing before pursuing her new man.

Purple princess: A fresh-faced and demure looking Charlotte Church poses in a pretty strapless dress for this week's heat magazine

Church said she was reluctant to reveal too much for fear of becoming like a ‘soap character’ but added: '[Johnny] is really great, he’s lovely – but to be honest, I’m pretty self-sufficient. It’s all very early stages at the moment.

 

‘It’s great because we like the same stuff. He’s very intelligent, very clever and he’s an amazing musician. That’s where most of the bond lies.
'A lot of the time we’re together we write songs, talk about music. We just like the same stuff, the same films – it’s nothing groundbreaking.

Changed man: Gavin Henson on the reality trip to the Arctic Circle. He returned a different man, claims Charlotte Church

‘I’d been writing with Johnny for a while, but it was a good couple of months after me and Gav split. I kind of asked Gav’s permission in a way. I said to him, “I really want you to know that nothing ever went on between me and Johnny while we were still together”.’
‘When I’m a taken woman, I’m a taken woman – that’s the way I see things. And I’ve still got a lot of love and respect for Gav.’

This week's edition of heat magazine

Henson and Miss Church, who have two young children together, ended their volatile five-year romance in May, only weeks after their engagement.
She said the trip to the Arctic changed him: ‘He’s a lot more grown up and open. I think he learned a lot about himself and he’d never had time to sit back and reflect before.
‘He’d been so busy with rugby, and that’s such a psychological game. I think that lived in his mind rather than any sort of self-discovery. So he was always quite closed.
‘When he proposed, I was overjoyed. It was amazing. I really was going to marry Gav and spend the rest of my life with him. But then he came back from Norway and he’d changed and I’d had time to think.
‘We had both had a change of heart - so we were both of the same mind.’
Speaking exclusively to the Mail Online, Jonathan added: 'I've been working with Charlotte for a long time now and we have an really productive working relationship.
'I've worked with a lot of musicians in the past and she is one of the most talented creatively and intuitive in performance.
'We've been friends for ages but ended up supporting each other massively since we both went through painful break-ups.

New love: Charlotte with Jonathan Powell at the Green Man Festival in August

'We've a lot of affection for one another and will doubtlessly continue working together for a long time.'
Meanwhile, Henson has accepted an invitation to play for the Barbarians side against South Africa at Twickenham on December 4.
However, he is not adjusting his priorities. He has said he will only take part if he is no longer participating in Strictly Come Dancing.
* The full interview appears in this week's heat magazine, On sale now.

Ready to rock: Gavin Henson with dancing partner Katya Virshilas in a promotional shot released today for Strictly