LOS ANGELES, Dec 6 — Mariah Carey’s rumoured new flame, Bryan Tanaka, has broken his silence about his ‘relationship’ with the pop diva.

In an interview with E! News, the 33-year-old backup dancer admitted that he’s "always had a thing for Mariah.”

While not exactly confirming the relationship, he added: "I love her so much,” before saying cryptically, "Just make sure you tune in to the show, and you’ll see kind of how everything happens.”

Tanaka added that the pair "connected” when he was first hired in 2005 as one of her back-up dancers.

"We’ve been friends for a long time,” he told E! News. "I do a little dance move here and there and we have a good time.”

Mariah Carey reportedly called off her engagement with Australian billionaire James Packer in October.

Gossip sites ran pictures last week of Carey and Tanaka packing on the PDA during a romantic beach date in Hawaii on November 28.