BARBARA WALTERS - WALTERS STUNNED BY MCCARTNEY'S NEW ROMANCE

WALTERS STUNNED BY MCCARTNEY'S NEW ROMANCE

U.S. TV presenter BARBARA WALTERS was stunned when she heard SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY was dating again - because the American woman he is reported to be romancing is her cousin, NANCY SHEVELL. The former Beatle was photographed out and about with socialite Shevell in New York earlier this month (Nov07), enjoying romantic late-night dinners, while other snaps show them appearing to share a kiss. And Walters denies she was being biased on her chatshow The View last week (ends09Nov07), when she criticised MCCartney's estranged wife Heather Mills for blaming her troubles on the press - because she only found out about Shevell and the singer's relationship at the weekend (10-11Nov07). Speaking on The View on Monday (12Nov07), she said of MCCartney's new romance: "I think it's very nice. "(Shevell)'s my second cousin. Her mother, who died, was my first cousin. And I have been very close to this young woman. ...She's separated from her husband, who's a nice man. The marriage wasn't going well, and they're separated. "I knew that there was someone, but she's very discreet." Shevell is the 47-year-old wife of New York Port Authority commissioner Bruce Blakeman, but the couple split earlier this year (07). MCCartney has been separated from Mills since May 2006, but is currently embroiled in a bitter divorce battle with the ex-model.