He looked like he'd finally put his Buck Squad days behind him.

So when Geordie Shore's Gaz Beadle, 27, split from girlfriend Lillie Lexie Gregg, 24, at the end of last year, it's fair to say we were a little bit shocked. After all, who could resist the parsnip?!

But in an exclusive interview with Gary ahead of series 12, the Newcastle lad hinted to us that it was his close relationship with co-star Charlotte Crosby, 25, that caused him to break up with Lillie.

Suggesting that he found it hard being in the house with single Charlotte, he says: "Series 12 is obviously a bit tricky between me and Charlotte.

"When Charlotte's not in a relationship, the boundaries change and she'll get a lot closer to us. She'll tell us she fancies us, she'll cuddle us for longer.

"She's a lot closer to us in every way. If she's in a fight, I'll comfort her. I think that comes across a lot in series 12."

The lad told us that he started to have doubts about the way he was behaving with his co-star as Char was 100 per centsingle at the start of filming but he was still with Lillie.

He says: "Obviously I've got a girlfriend, I feel bad. I'm thinking 'Am I cuddling Charlotte too much, is this classed as flirting?'

"I think I just thought at the end of it, I'm always going to be close to Charlotte, I would never cheat so it was more I ended up finishing with Lillie because for me I just needed to be single again.

"I enjoy myself more in the house when I'm single, I worry less and obviously me and Charlotte are going to get a lot closer when I'm single as I don't feel guilty for it."

Well well well, wewere not expecting THAT! How close DO Chaz get in the next series then, we wonder...?

'Find out when Geordie Shore returns for series 12 on Tuesday, 15 March at 10pm - only on MTV!'

- By Sophia Moir