Celebs Go Dating expert reveals what Stephen Webb really wants

Sex and relationships expert and Celebs Go Dating co-host Dr Tara has revealed what it was like working with former Gogglebox star Stephen Webb, and what he’s really looking for in a relationship.

Webb, who appeared on Channel 4’s TV-watching TV show Gogglebox between 2013 and 2023, announced in April that he was to divorce his husband of six years, Daniel Lustig. He said the pair drifted apart because they “switched off and stopped working” on their relationship.

Now, Webb has joined the cast of Celebs Go Dating alongside, among others, Married At First Sight’s trans star Ella Morgan.

In the first episode, the celebrities were asked to mingle with a group of single members of the public as they tried to find possible dating matches, while later episodes will show them having therapy sessions with Dr Tara and co-hosts Paul Carrick Brunson and Anna Williamson.

Speaking exclusively to PinkNews, bisexual sex positivity influencer and Luvbites podcast host Dr Tara revealed what her chats with Webb told her about his self-esteem, his relationship with Lustig, and what he really wants from a relationship.

One of the first things she realised is the way Webb uses sexual jokes to avoid revealing his true emotions. 

“Steven is very comfortable with his sexual communication and talking about sex anywhere, everywhere, with everyone. Through our coaching, I learned that because he’s so comfortable at that, he uses [it] as a tool to deflect from deeper conversations,” she said.

“He was not super comfortable in his own skin at the beginning because he knew he had to be very vulnerable. He had to talk about how he actually feels on the inside, and he had to talk about his history… so, when he sits on our therapy couch, he has to share all the things he’s never done before, personally [or] on TV.”

He spent the first section of the show “coming off as the joker” to cover for the fact he was actually “very nervous”, the sexpert added.

“He is very physically attractive but when someone is very anxious, they give off mad anxiety energy. I think people around him notice, and the ‘datees’ [in episode one] definitely notice.”

Webb and Lustig remain close friends. They still live together in Brighton and co-own a hairdressing business, which Dr Tara believes could actually benefit Webb’s chances of finding love again.

But, she said, the decision to divorce has taken a toll on his confidence. 

“Stephen is like just a golden retriever puppy waiting to be loved and held and understood,” she said.

“He was really looking for that passionate sexual connection again. Perhaps something he was missing in his marriage, and it was a really good friendship. I think for him, because he felt he was really looking for something passionate, he wants to be [swept] off his feet.”

With his ex trying his luck through the TV show, Lustig exclusively tokd PinkNews about his desire top start dating again.

Celebs Go Dating continues on E4 Monday to Thursday from 9pm.

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