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I'm a Celeb star Naughty Boy's sweet relationship with Emeli Sandé revealed

The two artists first crossed paths back in 2009

emeli naughty boy relationship
Eve Crosbie
TV & Film Writer
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Naughty Boy has caused quite a stir on this year's series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, from his heated rows with fellow campmates and his hilarious bushtucker trials.

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But what is there to know about the music producer's links to singer Emeli Sandé? Find out everything you need to know about their professional - and personal - relationship here...

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Naughty Boy - real name Shahid Khan - and Scottish singer Emeli have been close friends and collaborators for years after first working together on rapper Chipmunk's hit 2009 single Diamond Rings. Emeli was featured on the song while the British DJ co-wrote and produced it.

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This initial meeting led the two to form a writing and production partnership, and to date, they have written tracks for artists including Alesha Dixon, Professor Green, Cheryl Cole, and Tinie Tempah. Emeli's collaboration with the Watford-born producer helped her score her own record deal with Virgin and EMI.

emeli naughty boy© Photo: Getty Images

Emeli and Naughty Boy first met over ten years ago in 2009

Naughty Boy produced and co-wrote Emeli's debut album Our Version of Events while she sings seven of the 18 tracks on his 2013 record Hotel Cabana, which also features vocal contributions from the likes of Sam Smith, Ella Eyre, Ed Sheeran and Bastille.

Discussing how their partnership began, Emeli told Deadline News: "I was doing a show in London for 1Xtra and I met this guy called Naughty Boy. We got in the studio and we clicked work wise." She added: "We just started writing, not necessarily for me, we just thought 'let's write a pop tune' and experiment."

emeli naughty boy 1© Photo: Getty Images

Naughty Boy has called the Scottish songstress his "musical soulmate"

Meanwhile, on Thursday night's episode of the ITV show, Naughty Boy gushed about Emeli, calling the Scottish songstress his "musical soulmate".

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He told the other campmates: "I met Emeli (Sande) at a showcase in East London. I didn't even know who she was. When she sung, I swear, I just thought she was singing to me. It was some kind of love. She's my musical soulmate."

In the past, the producer has been quick to credit Emeli with helping make the move from studio to centre-stage. He told The Independent back in 2014: "Emeli gave me the confidence to believe that things I think about, song-wise, are good enough. 'Cause I was always writing songs, in my head – I was just never writing them down. I didn't even have the confidence to make music, let alone be a 'pop star'."