Charlie Puth dismisses Bella Thorne romance rumors

Pop star Charlie Puth has played down rumors of a new romance with Bella Thorne after they were photographed holding hands on a beach.

The See You Again hitmaker turned heads when he stepped out with singer/actress Bella in Miami, Florida on Sunday (18Dec16) and appeared to enjoy a few public displays of affection, with one image showing the pair gazing into each other's eyes.

However, Charlie is adamant they are not a couple.

Asked about the gossip on news show Entertainment Tonight, he said, "No, she's not my girlfriend."

However, the 25-year-old admitted they did look good together, before nervously joking, "Good thing you're not filming this!"

The beach date emerged weeks after Bella reportedly split from her last beau, actor Tyler Posey, who she began dating in September (16), shortly after revealing she was bisexual.

She previously romanced actor Gregg Sulkin for a year until their break-up in August (16).

"We will always love each other and have a deep respect for one another, as we have each grown to be better people because of our time together," they announced at the time. "Our schedules made seeing each other difficult, and we decided that for now this would be best."

Meanwhile, Charlie is looking forward to relaxing over the festive season, whether he spends it with a lady love or not, after recently recovering from an illness while on the road.

"I had gotten sick and that was a result of traveling too much, going around everywhere and just saying, 'Yes,' to too many people," he shared. "So now's my chance to just sit in my hot tub. Don't you love sitting in a hot tub when it snows? Just really doing simple stuff."