Friends reunited?

LOVE, so the song lyrics go, is lovelier the second time around. Then again, perhaps the phrase “once bitten, twice shy” should be kept in mind as the bottomless Pitt of speculation and rumour plays matchmaker to get Brad and his ex, Jen, back together.

Is it a case of goodbye Angelina, hello again?

We – by which I mean the public and the media of all persuasions – may be jumping the gun. No one has announced anything yet.

There are only furtive movements and questionable hints on which to base the idea that Brad Pitt, regularly voted the sexiest man alive, is about to leave partner Angelina Jolie and their six children to return to the bosom of his former wife, Jennifer Aniston. Friends reunited, indeed.

In the absence of official word from the Brangelina camp, we are free to draw our own conclusions, although observers say the evidence is there: Pitt is bored with being told what to do by Jolie and yearns to return to Aniston, the wife he divorced in 2005.

“Is it true that he longs for a second chance with wistful singleton Aniston, who he still refers to as a sweetheart and calls most evenings on the phone?” is typical of the comments circulating in tittle-tattle circles.

Intimates of the three – well, hairstylists and assistant directors – are wheeled out to say that Jen is better suited to be Mrs Pitt than controlling Angelina. And just look at Jen, they add. She’s changed boyfriends as often as her designer shoes but hasn’t been willing to commit since Brangelina met on the set of the film Mr and Mrs Smith (about husband and wife spies who couldn’t live with each other and couldn’t live without each other).

THERE’S nothing unique about famous couples divorcing, then remarrying and divorcing again. Two of Elizabeth Taylor’s eight husbands were Richard Burton.

Miami Vice actor Don Johnson wed actress Melanie Griffith for the second time 21 years after their first marriage and seven years before their second divorce.

Beneath all the bitching and gossip lies a serious question: Should you marry your ex?

If Brad and Jen wed again, at least they’ll know what they’re getting into. The second time around they must take care not to make the same mistakes again but use the things that worked the first time to their advantage.

“Remarrying may be a good idea if, during your time apart, you’ve changed elements of your behaviour that were causing the problems,”

according to a Relate counsellor.

The first question to ask is the obvious one: Why did you get divorced? If the cause still exists, the chances of a successful remarriage fade. Brad and Jen, who met on a blind date, must sit down and tick a few boxes before arranging another marriage ceremony with 200 guests, more than 50,000 flowers, a gospel choir, four bands, champagne and fireworks.

They must ask themselves if they communicate better now and if they’ve addressed the problems that caused the rift in their relationship in the first place.

While Brad was fathering children and doing charity work for the Brangelina brand, Jen was failing to find anyone suitable for a permanent relationship.

The next step for Brad and Jen is dating.

Experts suggest you do this before tying the knot again. Treat it like an audition to see if you really can stand the sight of each other and have turned over a new leaf.

The other phrase to bear in mind is the one about a leopard never changing its spots.

Once the ring is on the finger, Mr or Mrs could return to their old ways. The message for Brad and Jen is clear: Marrying the same person twice can result in double trouble.