Dr Chris Brown on new love, career gamble and 'cocaine hippos' chaos: 'Try to find the funny side of it!'

Dr Chris Brown has opened up about his budding relationship with former TV publicist Lorraine Monforte, revealing they are keeping things low-key despite growing public interest.

The TV vet, 47, told this week's Stellar magazine that they first met through work - and have known each other for years.

'Yeah, I'm in a relationship and really happy. The great thing with Lorraine is that she was a publicist for a TV network for 13 years. That's how we first became friends,' Chris began.

'And that's essentially all it was for quite a period of time. But she "gets" TV and she gets the media landscape. So she understands when the phrase "hard launch" is used, where that's coming from... she's able to laugh at it.' 

Chris added that Monforte's background in television has helped them navigate attention around their relationship, which became public after they were photographed together at the Australian Grand Prix in March.

He has also long been the subject of speculation about his personal life – something he says he no longer takes too seriously.

'Occasionally I’ll run into the women I've supposedly been in a relationship with... we have a good laugh. That's the only way you can deal with it... I could be rumoured to be in a relationship with someone one week, then separated the next,' he joked.

'And the following week, I'm having a baby with someone else. It's hard to keep up. Sometimes I need my dad, or a friend of the family, to remind me who I'm supposed to be in a relationship with.' 

Chris said that ability to laugh it off is also the main piece of advice he'd give to Robert Irwin, who has stepped into his former role hosting I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2023.

'I don't think he needs too much advice, to be honest. We chatted when he first started the role. I was obviously very keen to wish him all the best with it, and really remind him of just how much of a fun show it is to work on,' he revealed.

He said Robert has been around television his whole life and is already well prepared for the spotlight.

'Robert and his family had visited the set a couple of times when I was hosting, so he was familiar with the show. And he's been on camera his entire life,' he said.

When it comes to handling public scrutiny, Chris says perspective is key: 'Try to find the funny side of it.'

Beyond his personal life and television roles, Chris is also fronting new Seven projects, including My Reno Rules, where he says the stakes are higher than they appear on screen due to a major cash prize. 

He said that unpredictability carries through to his upcoming wildlife series Once In A Lifetime, where he takes Australian celebrities into extreme environments.

One of the most dangerous moments came while filming in Colombia, where Chris and comedian Mick Molloy encountered a growing population of feral hippos descended from animals once owned by drug lord Pablo Escobar.

'On day one of shooting, Mick and I are getting charged by Pablo Escobar's cocaine hippos!' he said.

Chris left Channel Ten in 2023 after more than a decade on I'm A Celebrity… and moved to Seven, where he now fronts a number of new projects.

He and Monforte are understood to be splitting their time between Sydney and Brisbane, but are largely keeping their relationship out of the spotlight for now, despite what industry insiders describe as an open secret.