Opik relationship in trouble

Mystery today surrounded the future of the relationship between politician Lembit Opik and his Cheeky Girl fiancée Gabriela Irimia. Mystery today surrounded the future of the relationship between politician Lembit Opik and his Cheeky Girl fiancée Gabriela Irimia. While some reports claimed the Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire had been dumped by the Romanian pop star, others suggested they were still an item but that she was refusing to see him or take his calls after a series of rows. Margit Semal, Miss Irimia's mum and manager, yesterday denied her daughter had split from Mr Opik, but admitted the couple had not seen each other for weeks. "She needs to decide which way she goes so she is taking time out," she said. Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star 

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Lembit Opik and Gabriela IrimiaMystery today surrounded the future of the relationship between politician Lembit Opik and his Cheeky Girl fiancée Gabriela Irimia.

While some reports claimed the Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire had been dumped by the Romanian pop star, others suggested they were still an item but that she was refusing to see him or take his calls after a series of rows.

Margit Semal, Miss Irimia's mum and manager, yesterday denied her daughter had split from Mr Opik, but admitted the couple had not seen each other for weeks.

"She needs to decide which way she goes so she is taking time out," she said.

Problems in the relationship are said to have stemmed from a family rift over the singer's engagement to the MP two weeks after the death of her grandmother, when she should have been in mourning.

Mrs Semal said: "In the Orthodox Church in Romania, we are supposed to mourn for six weeks after somebody dies. This is why the family are not supporting her in this engagement. She's feeling trapped between the two situations."

Suggesting Mr Opik may have tried to rush her daughter into marriage, she said: "There's a huge gap between them. She doesn't want to be his wife or have a baby. She's not ready to settle down."

Mr Opik, 43, was also engaged to TV weathergirl Sian Lloyd, before he met Miss Irimia in 2006. He proposed to the 25-year-old singer three months ago. Mr Opik was unavailable for comment this morning.