James Norton looks in good spirits as he lets his hair down at All Points East after he partied with Lily Allen

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On a thrilling Saturday evening at Victoria Park’s All Points East, I was absolutely beaming as I loosened the reins on my mane (hair), channeling my inner James Norton.

At the festival, the actor from Happy Valley, aged 40, celebrated with his friends before catching performances by Chase and Status, the headliners.

James cut a casual figure as he layered a red open shirt over a black tank top and matching jeans. 

At a festival this year, the star from Grantchester was spotted socializing with singer-actress Lily Allen. Accompanying him were two of his male friends as they all enjoyed drinks together.

Following his outing with actress Ms. Allen at the Lido Festival in East London on June 14th, there’s been a stir among fans as they were spotted getting quite close – chatting, dancing, and looking quite comfortable together.

Two weeks afterwards, it was allegedly observed that Norton was spotted with socialite Flora Huddart, holding hands, at the NYC Downlow nightclub during the Glastonbury festival.

Ms. Huddart is the child of fashion stylist Arabella Huddart and the sibling of Georgiana Huddart, who jointly launched the popular swimsuit brand Hunza G.

Ms. Allen, aged 40, concluded her four-year union with actor David Harbour, who is 50 years old and known for Stranger Things, in December, following rumors that she found out about his hidden profile on the private dating platform Raya.

Norton’s love life has also made headlines in recent years.

From 2015 to 2017, he had a relationship with his co-star from War and Peace, Jessie Buckley. Later, from around 2017, he was engaged to Imogen Poots, but their long-term partnership ended in 2023 after six years together.

Late last year he had a brief romance with Prada model Charlotte Rose Smith, 25.

Neither Norton nor Ms Huddart have confirmed their relationship.

Last month James said he is ‘crazily grateful for the pain’ of his split from Imogen.

In the year 2022, following four years of relationship, the actor proposed to his partner, a well-known actress from the movie “28 Weeks Later”, who was aged 36 at the time. However, their union did not last long, as they parted ways in 2023.

The Little Women star now views Imogen’s decision to end their relationship as a ‘gift’.

At the 2021 Glastonbury Festival, James shared with The Sun that the experience felt like an unexpected blessing, in a rather indirect manner.

‘She called it. She realised it wasn’t working – I’m crazily grateful for the pain she caused me.’

James considered the breakup a significant turning point in his life, as he had believed that he and Imogen would build a future together by raising a family.

He shared that he had been separated from his partner, and it was a significant blow for him. He believed he was going to have children, but that life he envisioned no longer existed at the age of 38.

Previously, the actor from Happy Valley made it clear that he still harbors hopes of building a family, even after the end of his engagement.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, he stated, “As we age, some may find it challenging due to regrets over past decisions, but I am free of such burdens.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I’ve found myself navigating circumstances beyond my control lately, but I must admit, I’m surprised by my lack of resentment. Perhaps next year will bring new opportunities for me to establish a family and nurture meaningful relationships.

Your life and the decisions you make involve a degree of personal control, but there are also instances where external factors or circumstances seem to take charge.

‘But if you made those choices or not, it’s a shame to spend time agonising over either.’

Even though he yearned for fatherhood, James felt that starting a family in recent times wouldn’t be ‘fair,’ under the current circumstances.

He said: ‘I don’t sit on set where I’m playing a dad and feel sad and broody.

I greatly enjoy spending time with children, yet due to many of my friends having kids, I sometimes feel out of sync socially. However, the last few years have been incredibly hectic for me, making it unfair to add a child into such a busy lifestyle.

Additionally, the built-in advantage for men lies in having more leisurely time, as they can choose to start a family at a later stage. Fortunately, I find myself in this situation and am content with my current life. In fact, I’m quite exhilarated about the decisions I have made.

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2025-08-17 17:22