Stephanie Waring is dating Michael Greco.

Stephanie Waring

Stephanie Waring

The 'Hollyoaks' beauty - who portrays Cindy Cunningham - has struck up a relationship with the former 'EastEnders' star, who played Beppe di Marco, but is determined to take things slowly as she doesn't want her new romance to cause any disruption for her daughters Mia, 10, and Lexi, six.

Stephanie's manager told OK! magazine: "I can confirm they are dating however it's very early days, and Steph's focus right now is her daughters and 'Hollyoaks'."

The 38-year-old beauty set tongues wagging over the weekend when she uploaded a photograph online of her and Michael, 45, enjoying a cosy group dinner with her fellow 'Hollyoaks' co-stars Kieron Richardson and Ross Adams in Manchester.

She accompanied the picture with the caption: "Amazing meal at San Carlo Hale with this lovely lot @mrkieronrichardson @rosshollyoaks @thegrecs @philcrusham. (sic)"

And the pair aren't going to drastic lengths to keep their relationship a secret as they enjoyed a flirtatious exchange on Twitter at the beginning of last month.

Stephanie wrote: "This guy @michaelgreco2 is lucky that it's Follow Friday as he clearly needs help bumping up his followers. So go on press his button! (sic)"

Michael spotted the tweet almost immediately and replied: "Ahhh bless you. Glass of Prosecco waiting for ya love! Xx"

However, the soap star wanted more than a glass of bubbly as she said: "Surely it's worth more than a glass of Prosecco? (sic)"

Stephanie's new relationship comes just seven weeks after she revealed how hard it is being a full-time actress and a single mother.

She wrote alongside a photograph of her daughters: "See these two beautiful faces.. They are my girls! I have been a mother for 10 years.. Before this I had no idea what was to lie before me, the challenges I would have to face, the comprises I would have to make, to let go of my freedom of being a carefree 20 something actress that needed to be here there everywhere at the drop of a hat.. I was never a girl who cared much for responsibility so I didn't have any.

"But then the day came when I gave birth to my first, Mia.. I was then faced with the reality that my life had changed and it wasn't just about me anymore. Being a single mother and holding down a full time job on a soap was and still is a challenge in itself and now I don't just have Mia I have my youngest Lexi as well. I do my best, I try my best but I'm not perfect, I feel like I get it wrong sometimes but there is no hand book, no right way of being a parent, there are no set of rules, there isn't one way of doing it, people will tell you you're doing it wrong that their way is best..

"No one can do it right all the time no one can have it all, if you are winning at work then you will be failing at home, if you are on top of everything at home then work isn't getting your full attention the two go hand in hand. It's a juggling act, a routine that sometimes doesn't go to plan, I have no nanny, no cleaner, no partner to help, I am on my own and it's bloody hard, working a 12hr day and getting the Hoover out is not my top priority at the end of the day but then I berate myself when I do get home from work and I have missed so much of my kids day! The amount of food I have thrown away because my girls have been close to tears and would rather starve than eat their greens then it feels like it's down to me and I'm the one who feels like a failure.

"Any single parent who is ever made to feel like they are failing should look at their child and if they are happy and loved then you are not a failure you are doing it right, your way!

"Never feel guilty! I look at my girls they are happy and loved and that is enough for me to know that I am doing it right, my way (sic)."