Chantelle Houghton is hoping to get back with her ex-boyfriend.

The reality star is putting her doomed relationship with Alex Reid behind her and trying to rekindle her romance with an ex-boyfriend, who she first dated five years ago, after he agreed take it slow with her so she can focus on looking after her 10-month-old daughter Dolly.

She confessed: ''I met up with my ex last week and we had a really nice night. My mum had Dolly, so he came to my house and we had a few glasses of wine and talked.

''He told me he'd missed me and I said I'd missed him too. We discussed the fact that I wasn't ready for a serious relationship last time and he completely understood.

''Even though it's early days, I'm hoping it's the start of something. My mum really likes him and is convinced I'll end up marrying him and that's why he's come back into my life!''

Chantelle - who was previously married to Ordinary Boys singer Preston - had also been dating a second man, but has decided to focus on her former lover because she knows him well enough to trust him, having been hurt by Alex because of his alleged flings with other men during their relationship.

She wrote in her column for new! magazine: ''It's not going anywhere between me and the guy who was sending me flowers. Because I have trust issues after my relationship with Alex, I feel more secure with someone I already know.''

However, she has no malicious feelings towards Alex and his rumoured new girlfriend, despite the pain he put her through.

She added: ''Someone told me last week that Alex is supposedly dating a personal trainer called Nicola Manashe. I really don't have any interest in what Alex does or who he dates. Good luck to them, I say!''