Yazmin Oukhellou is dating an Essex gangster on the run from the police, six months after her ex Jake McLean was killed in a car crash, MailOnline can reveal.
The former TOWIE star, 28, who was a passenger in the car with her on-and-off boyfriend Jake when it crashed in Turkey and lost his life on the spot, has been photographed flirting with Kirk Holdrick, 40, at the restaurant Montecristo Marrakesh.
They were also seen relaxing in the sun together on a bed at the luxurious Nikki Beach Marrakech hotspot, where Yazmin posed on Instagram for glamorous bikini pics.
Sources close to Yazmin say the couple are ‘inseparable’ and that she hopes to move to Morocco, where she has set up a boutique hotel rental called The Little Palace Marrakech.
New romance: Yazmin Oukhellou is dating an Essex gangster on the run from the police, six months after her ex Jake McLean was killed in a car crash, MailOnline can reveal
Tragic: The former TOWIE star was a passenger in the car with her on-and-off boyfriend Jake when it crashed in Turkey, losing her life on the spot
Former Partners: Yazmin’s new love interest Kirk is currently on the run from the police following an altercation with the ex-boyfriend of TOWIE’s Hannah Voynan (pictured in September)
A source told MailOnline: ‘Yazmin and Kirk are getting serious after meeting through mutual friends in Morocco and spending Christmas and New Year’s Eve together.
‘Kirk has met Yazmin’s family and is finally feeling happier after everything that happened this summer.
“She was looking forward to a fresh start in 2023 and sees Kirk as her rock after his support during the aftermath of Jake’s passing.”
Reality star Yazmin has been posting a flurry of glamorous bikini photos from Morocco, including by the pool at her family’s boutique hotel.
She has shared photos with her 745,000 Instagram followers showing off her curves at Nikki Beach Marrakech, where she was photographed on a sun lounger relaxing with Kirk.
Chill out: They were also spotted relaxing in the sun together on a bed at the ritzy Nikki Beach Marrakech hotspot, where Yazmin posed on Instagram for glamorous bikini shots
In a second photo obtained exclusively by MailOnline, Yazmin and Kirk take a close look at the dimly lit Montecristo Marrakech bar and restaurant.
Yazmin’s new love interest is currently on the run from the police following an altercation with the ex-boyfriend of TOWIE’s Hannah Voynan.
Kirk, who was dating Hannah after she joined the ITVBe series last year, breached the terms of his license after an alleged row with his ex and is wanted by police.
MailOnline has reached out to Yazmin’s spokesperson for comment.
Rest in peace: Jake McLean lost his life at age 33 in July when his car veered off a cliff in Turkey, while Yazmin miraculously escaped the crash with injuries to her arm.
In 2004, he was arrested for attempting to rob a Securicor vehicle at gunpoint and five months later, while on remand, escaped Pentonville prison by scaling a 30-foot wall and claiming through barbed wire, according to a local news report.
A jury at Harrow Crown Court found Kirk guilty of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and possession of a loaded firearm and he was sentenced to life in prison in October 2005.
Hannah was subsequently written out of the series by TOWIE bosses after she was last photographed alongside Kirk at London’s Sexy Fish restaurant in September.
Yazmin’s new romance comes six months after her ex Jake lost his life at age 33 in a tragic car accident.
Sun-kissed: Reality star Yazmin has been posting a series of glamorous bikini pics from Morocco, including by the pool at her family’s boutique hotel, The Little Palace Marrakech.
Fun in the sun: James Lock’s ex-girlfriend posed on Nikki Beach Marrakech, pouting and showing off her voluptuous figure as she enjoyed her vacation in Morocco in a post shared on Jan. 1
The on-and-off couple were vacationing together when Jake crashed his car off a cliff in Bodrum, Turkey, and died at the scene.
Jake was famous for his relationship with TOWIE star Lauren Goodger, and the Essex businessman also had an affair with Love Island’s Georgia Harrison.
Yazmin told The Sun that in order to survive the hit, she went down a blood-covered cliff with a broken arm and now has permanent physical scars.
After doctors told her she was lucky to get out of the devastating accident, Yazmin confessed to spending sleepless nights and needing therapy because she couldn’t understand why she had been given a second chance at life.
Glamorous: Yazmin has been keeping her Instagram followers up to date with her travels, sharing a mirrored selfie in her bikini
Indulgent: Yazmin also shared a video of the unique Nouba Restaurant Marrakech on her Instagram Stories this week
In July last year, he said: ‘I cut an artery and a nerve, that’s why I bled so much. The doctors called me an angel, a miracle, because it is a notorious place and people have never survived.
‘Now I just wonder how the hell my partner died while I survived. He has made me see life in a totally different way.
Yazmin was reportedly barred from attending Jake’s funeral after his family blamed her for his sad passing, saying the couple had been arguing at the time of the accident.
The ITVBe star shared a post on Instagram ahead of the New Year’s turn, reflecting on the painful and life-changing events of 2022.
‘I lived through something I shouldn’t’: The ITVBe star shared a post on Instagram ahead of the turn of the year, reflecting on the painful and ever-changing events of 2022
She said: ‘This was the year that changed my life forever.
‘I lived something that I shouldn’t have. I learned that I’m not as weak as I thought I was.
‘I learned the importance of family and good friends and I learned that every day is simply a blessing.
“There are nights I still cry myself to sleep and days I put my phone on airplane mode and hide from the world and that’s okay.”
“There are days when I adore myself and post here so everyone thinks I’m doing great and living my best life.” And you know what? That’s fine too.