Hilary Duff has confirmed her relationship with Jason Walsh

She told the New York Post newspaper: "We have ... We've known each other for a really long time and he's a great guy and we have a lot of fun together. It's nice to have that excitement in my life."

But the 'Lizzie McGuire' star wasn't quite ready to put a label on her romance with Jason, as when asked if she was "back in a relationship", she just laughed nervously and refused to comment.

Sources have been dubbing the pair as "casual" since they were rumoured to be dating back in June, with one insider saying there didn't appear to be anything romantic going on.

The source said previously: "They looked like they were having fun because the game was crazy but I didn't notice them acting affectionate of anything like that. They were just watching and cheering with everybody in the restaurant."

Another source said previously that the pair had been "spending a lot of time together", but that the relationship had started out as a good friendship.

The source explained: "The pair have been spending a lot of time with each other in recent months, both in the gym and out at various restaurants to enjoy some fine dining, and it seems this budding romance began as a friendship."

For Hilary, her relationship with Jason marks the first since she divorced from retired ice hockey player Mike Comrie. The pair - who share four-year-old son Luca - cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their divorce in February 2015, though the settlement wasn't finalised until a year later in February this year. The 'Younger' actress has primary physical custody of Luca, but the pair share joint legal custody.