DON'T be surprised if Nicole Appleton puts in a convincing performance in her new gangster movie.
I can reveal the All Saints sister is having private lessons from the expert - Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels creator Guy Ritchie.
Friends of the singer, who broke off her engagement from Robbie Williams four months ago, say she's been dating the millionaire for the past two weeks.
"Nicky's having the time of her life with Guy," one said. "They've known each other for a couple of years but recently they've become a lot closer. They've been out on a few intimate dates and they're planning a weekend away as soon as she finishes filming her movie."
Nicole, 24, who's busy filming her first movie Honest with her sister Natalie and Melanie Blatt, claimed she was taking a break from men after finally calling things off with Robbie in April after a stormy 18 months.
But now her pals reckon there's something special going on with Ritchie, even though the 30-year-old film producer is an accomplished womaniser. Last year he dated Madonna and until recently he was seeing another close friend of Robbie's, TV beauty Tania Strecker.
"Nicky knows all about Guy's eye for the ladies but she's not stupid," her pal says. "She's having fun and learning a lot more about the movie business at the same time."
Sounds like a good deal to me.