Talking in her column, Ferne McCann said: "They've both been flirting a lot and have now had their first date.
"It's a random match and Nicola's quite a bit older than he is, so I don't think they'll start a relationship."
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She added: "They're having fun with each other, though, and Nicola seems nice."
However Nicola has since taken to Twitter to hit back at claims made about her love life, writing: "I'm so p**sed off I have not spoke to any mags about a date!!! And I've never used the word smitten in my life!"
She added: "A friend says? Great friend!"
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Nicola, 32, and Mario publicly called one another "fit" before Mario boldly asked her out a few weeks ago.
Mario, who previously dated Lucy Mecklenburgh, tweeted at Nicola: "Going to take this as a yes! Maria your baby sitting Friday... McLean, you and I are out x."
Nicola recently confirmed she had decided to split from Tom Williams after five years of marriage, revealing that they had been suffering from problems for five months, heightened by the ex-QPR footballer's frequent trips to Las Vegas.
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She also accused Tom, 34, of having an affair in Sin City, saying: "I've known my marriage has been over for months, but I've been fighting it. I'm the lowest I've ever felt.
"I'm not perfect, but I've been 100 per cent faithful to my husband, marriage and children, and I can take that away from this."