Johnny Vaughan and Denise Van Outen present together for first time in 20 years after The Big Breakfast fallout-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro

Johnny Vaughan and Denise Van Outen have reunited for the first time in two decades after a long-running rift.

The Radio X DJ, 56, and Denise, 49, had presented The Big Breakfast together in the 90s but had a ‘big fallout’ over a pay dispute.

But the duo, who last presented entertainment series Passport to Paradise together in 2004, have since buried the hatchet and took over the reins of Steph’s Packed Lunch on Tuesday.

They kicked off the Channel 4 show with Denise and Johnny in a confessional, where they reflected on their past hosting career together.

Denise joked that Johnny ‘talked a lot’ but it was ‘lovely to see him again’ while Johnny remarked the former I’ll Do Anything star was too focussed on ‘fashion and make-up.’

Asked whether she’d changed anything about Johnny, Denise replied: ‘The only thing is he talked a lot about how I used to make more money than me but it’s fine.’

Channel 4 fans were loving Denise and Johnny’s return (Picture: Channel 4)

But they both admitted they were thrilled to be working again before the credits for Steph’s Packed Lunch rolle.

And viewers were loving their return, with one begging: ‘Can we have these 2 back every day please!?! Missed them from our screen so much!’

Another remarked they ‘absolutely loved their chemistry and chaotic atmosphere’ after a segment about whether to feed dogs wet or dry food.

Getting stuck right in (literally), both Denise and Johnny chomped on some dog food, with the Radio X DJ commenting that it ‘tasted like fags.’

Screwing up his face in horror, he continued: ‘There’s smell out here that’s going to outlast religion.’

‘Still to come,’ he added introducing the adverts. ‘Might be the contents of my stomach.’

Denise and Johnny presented The Big Breakfast together in the 90s (Picture: Getty Images)

Denise and Johnny were first paired together in 1997 for The Big Breakfast amassing a dedicated following for their banter and natural chemistry.

But just three years later Denise left the light entertainment show over a pay dispute after discovering that contract negotiations saw Johnny earning more than her for the same job. 

In 2017, Denise opened up about the issue, and during an appearance on Loose Women explained: ‘I had a big fallout with Johnny Vaughan when we worked on The Big Breakfast and at that time we were like brother and sister. We were best friends, unbreakable.

Denise left The Big Breakfast after a pay dispute (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

‘The whole relationship fell apart when we started to renegotiate our contracts because I always felt we worked together as a team and that’s how it should be. We created it together.’

‘Not just us but the rest of the team working on the show. I always had that mentality that it was about all of us,’ she continued.

However, she then discovered his agent had been negotiating for him separately. 

Denise and Johnny were staples of breakfast TV in the 90s(Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

‘I found out and obviously confronted him and I realised then at that point that our friendship had gone in two different directions and for me it was tarnished,’ she said. 

‘That’s why I left the show because I knew at that point that it would never be the same.’ 

However, in 2021, Denise revealed she had made-up with Johnny after their 20-year spat.

‘Johnny and I have had a bit of a rocky relationship over the years for various reasons and, funnily enough, we’ve messaged a lot in lockdown,’ she told  The Mirror.

‘These situations make you reflect and realise some of the silly niggles and arguments you have are just not worth it.’ 

The Big Breakfast eventually ended in 2002, with stars including Richard Bacon and Donna Air taking over the hosting roles in the final three years.

It was rebooted last year in line with the show’s 20th anniversary with Mo Gilligan and AJ Odudu as hosts.

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It was announced last year that Mo Gilligan will host a one-off special of the show this Autumn, in line with the 30th anniversary.

Steph McGovern will return to Steph’s Packed Lunch on Wednesday (June 14).

Steph’s Packed Lunch airs weekdays from 12pm on Channel 4.

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