Johnny Vegas gives rare glimpse into long-term relationship girlfriend after quitting stand-up to run antiques business

SINCE stepping out of the stand-up spotlight, Johnny Vegas has embraced a calmer life running an antiques business – and now his long-term partner is getting involved. In a new interview, the Benidorm star has opened up about Vikki Jones in a rare glimpse int his love life. Johnny Vegas says girlfriend Vikki is now ‘on the books’ at his antiques business Credit: Rex His antiques venture featured in the Quest series Johnny Vegas’ Little Shop Of Antiques Credit: Warner Bros Johnny, 55, has been dating Vikki for three years and says the pair love working together. He told The Times: “They say never work with your partner, but it’s great. She and Bev make fun of me most of the time.” Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter Thank you! Bev is Johnny’s self-described “long-suffering” childhood friend and assistant, who appears alongside him in his Quest series Johnny Vegas’ Little Shop Of Antiques. Explaining why he rarely speaks about Vikki publicly, Johnny said: “I wasn’t keeping it under cover, but I don’t share much about it on social media.” Johnny admitted the nerves of stand-up comedy eventually took their toll Credit: Alamy The comic admitted he has ‘a very dangerous bit of knowledge’ about collectables Credit: johnnyvegasofficial/ Instagram His antiques venture, Vintage Vegas, began as a pop-up shop at Dagfields Craft and Antique Centre near Nantwich, Cheshire. It featured in his eight-part TV series, which followed Johnny and Bev as they hunted for unusual treasures to sell. Johnny describe his business venture as “collectable things of all sorts, really. “I have a very dangerous bit of knowledge on lots of things. I couldn’t tell you about 18th-century furniture or anything, but I have to think I like it and hopefully I have an eye for this stuff.” Most read in Showbiz The Benidorm star admitted he was initially unsure whether customers would visit just to get a selfie. He said: “It’ll be an interesting experiment to see if people come in not just to see me. “We’ll find out if it’s viable down the line when the circus has left town, so to speak. We’re learning as we go. I never thought I’d see myself as a shopkeeper.” Johnny has also opened up about stepping away from stand-up comedy after years of struggling with nerves. He said: “Stand-up was great, but it was manic. The nerves took their toll. Never say never, but I just see that as a project that needs to rest.” Johnny was previously married to Kitty Donnelly from 2002 until 2008, and they share an adult son, Michael. He wed his second wife, Irish broadcaster Maia Dunphy, in 2011. The former couple, who share 11-year-old son Tom, announced their separation in 2018 and later briefly reconciled before splitting again. Comment now