Nick Lachey is not ready to marry Vanessa Minnillo.

The singer - whose divorce from Jessica Simpson was finalised last year - has slammed rumours he is planning to propose to MTV presenter Vanessa.

Nick told Access Hollywood: "The four-letter word that starts with an 'r' - we are not dealing with that one yet."
It was reported in December that Nick had phoned his ex-wife and told her he was marrying again.

The 33-year-old was said to have spent 40 minutes explaining his intentions to Jessica, who reportedly struggled to contain her emotions.

However, it now seems Nick and Vanessa - who were reported to be desperate to marry before the end of 2007 - have no plans to take the next big step in their relationship and are content to carry on as they are.

Nick said: "We are very happy. I have no complaints. We are not dealing with marriage yet."

Since Nick and Jessica split, the 'Dukes of Hazzard' actress has been linked to singer John Mayer - and although they were seen together in New York over
Christmas, Jessica continues to insist she is single.