permanent

TWO of Britain’s best-known comedians’ on-off romance appears to have come to an end — despite previously insisting they were together for good.

Shaparak Khorsandi, formerly known professionally as Shappi, has set tongues wagging after revealing she’s been trying her luck on dating apps, suggesting her relationship with fellow comic Mark Steel is over.

But it seems the world of online romance has been anything but a barrel of laughs for the stand-up star, who admitted she’d already thrown in the towel.

Sharing a candid Instagram video about her dating disasters, she wrote: “I have come off the site because I really didn’t like who I was on it. I never thought I would hate someone for wanting ‘travel tips for Japan’”

She added the hashtags #midlifedating, #onlinedatingfail and #datingapps — but it wasn’t long before eagle-eyed followers noticed something rather surprising.

One asked: “I thought you were already in a relationship, Shappi……” Another questioned: “I thought you were with Mark Steel?”

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The apparent split is particularly surprising given Mark’s declaration last year that the couple had finally cracked the secret to lasting love after years of breaking up and making up.

The former I’m A Celeb star, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2023, previously revealed his devastating health battle had brought them back together after a period apart.

Speaking to The Guardian in February 2025, Mark said: “We were no good not being together,” before insisting things were going “great” between them.

He added: “It’s lovely. You can never say with these things, but… I think it’s permanent now.”

Their rollercoaster romance also featured in his 2025 memoir, The Leopard in My House: One Man’s Adventures in Cancerland, which documented his gruelling cancer treatment and their reconciliation.

And things certainly appeared rosy in October 2024, when Shaparak shared an Instagram video showing Mark waiting at home as she returned from touring, giving fans a glimpse into their domestic bliss.

The pair had been romantically linked since at least 2022, with Shaparak previously referring to Mark as her boyfriend, but her latest dating-app confession suggests their happy ending may have been short-lived.

The Sun has approached representatives for both stars for comment.

Erewhon, the trendy L.A. health food chain and retailer, announced Monday that it will become a permanent fixture at Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s David Geffen Galleries after operating there as a pop-up since April. The cafe will join the new building’s yet-to-be announced restaurant, which is already holding private events including a recent unveiling of an Ed Ruscha-designed poster for Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s new film, “Digger.”

To celebrate its new status, Erewhon announced a LACMA smoothie created to resemble Alexander Calder’s fountain sculpture, “Three Quintains (Hello Girls),” which sits directly next to the cafe on the museum’s ground floor. The drink is made from pineapple, mango, strawberry, mandarin and lion’s mane (of course). It will be joined by limited edition merch, including a sweatshirt and a tote.

LACMA’s new Peter Zumthor-designed building opened to the public in April and was greeted with equal parts praise and controversy. Erewhon, which launched as a pop-up about a week later also elicited excitement and some griping, with critics saying the space would be better served by a less expensive option. (Erewhon is known for its high prices, with a typical smoothie costing $13 to $22.)

“We’re absolutely thrilled that Erewhon at LACMA is becoming a permanent fixture of the museum experience,” Michael Govan, LACMA’s president and chief executive, said in a news release. “Erewhon stands as a true family-owned local icon — one that champions creativity and well being while fiercely dedicating itself to its communities.”

The cafe will be open to non-ticketed guests, and is surrounded by a number of pieces of outdoor public art.