An actor looked unrecognisable as he posed for a sweet snap with his rarely-seen daughter, who he shares with his famous ex-wife.

Lee Mead, 43, who was previously married to Denise Van Outen, posted a heartwarming selfie on Instagram last week with his daughter Betsy, 14.

In the snap, Lee rested his head on Betsy’s shoulder and simply captioned the post with a love heart emoji.

Some of the star’s 19,000 followers even pointed out the similarities between the two, gushing that she ‘looks like her pa!’

The TV star looked different to how people may remember him from his younger years, as he showed off a new hairstyle after getting a hair transplant back in 2023.

Denise walked down the aisle to wed Lee in 2007, however they separated four years later in 2013.

An actor looked unrecognisable as he posed for a sweet snap with his rarely-seen daughter, who he shares with his famous ex-wife

Lee Mead , 43, who was previously married to Denise Van Outen, posted a heartwarming selfie on Instagram last week with his daughter Betsy, 14 (Lee and Denise pictured in 2013)

They tied the knot in the Seychelles in 2009, after meeting on the 2007 TV show Any Dream Will Do where she was a judge and he was a contestant. 

They former couple then went on to welcomed Betsy in 2010 before Denise confirmed they had parted ways in June 2013 – just six months after being named the runner-up on Strictly’s tenth series.

Lee showed off the results of his hair transplant one year on from the procedure in February 2024. 

The West End star, who was known for his curly hair, shared a sweet selfie with his fiancée Issy Szumniak as they marked their seven year anniversary.

In the photo, Lee sported an impressive crop of hair after flying out to Turkey last year to have the procedure in a bid to boost his confidence. 

Lee wrote: ‘I love this woman so much. My beautiful Issy. Today we celebrate our seven year anniversary and I can’t wait for us to be married next year and spend the rest of our lives together.’ 

Last February, Lee announced his engagement to make-up artist Issy after six years of dating. 

The former Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat star confirmed his romance with mother-of-one Issy in 2018 after meeting her on the school run.

The actor spoke of the reasons behind why he got his second hair transplant during an appearance on This Morning in February 2023.

Denise walked down the aisle to wed Lee in 2009, however they separated four years later in 2013

Lee showed off the results of his hair transplant one year on from the procedure in February 2024 (pictured with his fiancée Issy Szumniak)

The actor spoke of the reasons behind why he got his second hair transplant during an appearance on This Morning in February 2023

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‘My first one was 15 years ago called FUT technique (Follicular Unit Transplant Technique). But nobody knew. Then I had my next one,’ he explained.

‘There’s nothing wrong with being bald but it was receding and it affected my confidence a bit.

‘Robbie Williams said he wanted one but his hair had got too thin so I thought I better do it sooner rather than later.

He added: ‘It’s a personal confidence thing. The operation was seven hours and you get local anesthetic for seven hours but you can hear everything going on. The team were incredible. I stayed about four days in Turkey.’

On the show, he appeared confident while his hair appeared to be growing back fuller and thicker.

Alison added: ‘I never saw anything receding or anything whatsoever.’

Lee’s new Instagram post comes after his ex-wife Denise revealed she ‘definitely’ suffers from ‘mum guilt’ when parenting Betsy.

Talking exclusively to Femail in November, the DJ and television presenter from Essex said: ‘I think most working parents find it difficult to find a balance.

Lee’s new Instagram post comes after his ex-wife Denise revealed she ‘definitely’ suffers from ‘mum guilt’ when parenting Betsy 

Career prospects are currently a hot topic in her household, with Denise currently starting the process of guiding Besty as she starts to think about her future occupation 

‘It’s now easier as Betsy is older and understands my job more and the commitments that come with it.’

Career prospects are currently a hot topic in her household, with Denise currently starting the process of guiding Besty as she starts to think about her future occupation.

It’s a role that Denise is determined not to feel any ‘mum guilt’ over, with her already guiding Betsy on her future options, even if she doesn’t want to pursue a job on the showbussiness circuit.

‘After a lengthy discussion I’ve realised that Betsy may not want to follow after me in the showbiz route so it’s been good to start talking about this early,’ the former Strictly Come Dancing contestant said.

She added: ‘Betsy isn’t sure what she wants to do yet but we have started to talk about the amazing jobs behind the scenes in the entertainment industry.’

Denise added: ‘Should she want to I would want to get Betsy work experience initially so she can really get the taste of what it’s like.’

Denise revealed that her goal for the next couple of years is to land Betsy a job she thrives in, saying: ‘I would love to see Betsy find a job that she absolutely loves and wakes up in the morning feeling happy. I am so grateful to have a job where I get that feeling.’