Chantelle Houghton is reportedly hurt and upset by persistent rumours that she and Alex Reid have split up.

The former Celebrity Big Brother winner is currently pregnant to the burly cage fighter and the pair are engaged to be married, after he proposed on Irish TV last year. However, there has been a lot of talk and rumours, suggesting that they have now cancelled their wedding plans, after months of arguing.

A friend told new! magazine, that Chantelle has been ‘very upset’ by the claims and explained:

“She is very upset by all the rumours and doesn’t need the stress right now.

“Like any normal couple, they have the odd spat, but the wedding is far from off.”

Sources close to the blonde beauty are now worried that the stress of the situation could affect Chantelle’s pregnancy and added:

“She is anxious enough that everything is going to be OK with the baby, so suggestions that she and Alex are having problems have really got to her.”

The rumours started after Chantelle was photographed earlier this month, not wearing her engagement ring. She tried to set the record straight on Twitter and explained that she sometimes doesn’t wear the ring, because it is too expensive.

She tweeted: “I don’t wear my engagement ring everyday it cost so much money, I get scared of being mugged.

Always the knight in shining armour, Alex also waded into the argument and defended his relationship writing on Twitter:

“The power of journalism is very dangerous.

“Totally understand being in public eye puts us in firing line and people who wrote story feel it’s Their right to tell the truth whilst making them money & more popular, but these recent stories r not true &r damaging 2a happy couple. Heyho [sic].”

Does anyone else feel that Alex is being a little hypocritical in hitting out at the press as he is, considering that he has made his fortune from staged relationships, photo opportunities and tell all magazine interviews over the past number of years?

Leave your comments below.