Billy Ray Cyrus reveals how his relationship with Elizabeth Hurley started

Musician Billy Ray Cyrus, 63, and the actress Elizabeth Hurley, 59, recently debuted their relationship on social media to the surprise of many.

Cyrus has now revealed how their romance has evolved, recalling how they met while filming the 2022 movie Christmas In Paradise.

Speaking on the podcast The Ty Bentli Show, Cyrus said: "We did very few scenes together, but the couple times we were in the same scene, there was a chemistry there. We just laughed, and it was at a time [when] I wasn’t laughing a lot.

"The oddest part was first, how much we laughed. Second, I figured we were so different, but in some very strange ways, we had way more in common than we had different."

Despite this, the two didn't actually speak to each other for two years after shooting the movie.

However, Elizabeth Hurley reentered Billy Ray Cyrus' life when he was at one of his lowest ebbs, following his split from his ex-wife Tish Cyrus.

He shared: "I felt like, ‘Wow, can life get any harder? Can it get any tougher?’ For me, at a certain point, it was like, you can’t get knocked down any flatter than lying on your back when life is kicking you. And in this moment, a friend reached out."

Cyrus didn't actually recognise the number, but her text message proved to be a turning point.

He recalled: "I text back, I go, ‘Who is this?’ And it’s like, ‘Elizabeth Hurley.’ Of all the people to reach out to me in that second that maybe I needed most, this friend who made me laugh."

The two have developed a strong bond over recent months, and the musician is now convinced that they can overcome any challenge together.

The Achy Breaky Heart hitmaker also heaped praise on Hurley, describing her as "impressively brilliant".

He said: "If all we ever were [is] the friends that we are, I would take that. She’s so impressively brilliant. She reminds me a lot of Dolly Parton. She’s a very smart businesswoman.

"If you can laugh together, you can make it through everything."