Billie gets comfort from ex (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Billie gets comfort from ex

9:16am Friday 23rd February 2007 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

Billie Piper was spotted seeking a shoulder to cry on from her ex-husband recently but should be in better spirits tonight when she appears on the Charlotte Church show.

This week the Swindon sweetheart was seen confiding in Chris Evans over coffee.

Evans, 40, was on his way to the gym with his girlfriend when he received a phone call from Billie.

The 24-year-old actress met him at a branch of Starbucks in Belsize Park, just around the corner from her North London home.

An onlooker said that Billie spent the meeting crying bitterly while Chris listened sympathetically.

"Her eyes looked very puffy because of all the tears and Chris looked terribly concerned," said the bystander.

"She was shaking as she spoke and this went on for about 20 minutes.

"In the end he managed to cheer her up because she started laughing at some joke."

The couple shared a hug before Evans returned to the gym and Billie walked home alone.

The reason for Billie's distress was unclear. The meeting with Evans provoked speculation that she had split from her actor boyfriend Laurence Fox, who she has been seeing since December.

But her spokesman insisted the actress is still with her 28-year-old co-star.

Billie is preparing to make her West End debut in Treats which begins on February 28.

According to reports she has said: "I'm quite stressed out and I'm having a tough time. In the theatre, unlike TV, you know you're going to be working for two hours straight and you know you've got to be firing."

Whatever the reason for Billie's tears she will be hoping to seek advice from singer Charlotte Church. Billie will be appearing tonight on Church's Channel 4 show at 10pm.