London, Oct 30 (IANS) Country singer Taylor Swift has fuelled rumours that she is dating Hollywood actor Jake Gyllenhaal after talk show host Ellen DeGeneres grilled the young star about her "handsome" new "boyfriend".

The singer sparked rumours of a new romance when she was spotted holding hands with Gyllenhaal during a stroll through Brooklyn, New York Sunday and DeGeneres took the opportunity to ask the 20-year-old about her relationship with the actor, reports contactmusic.com.

DeGeneres asked Swift if she is feeling optimistic about love, and she replied: "Well, why wouldn't anyone be?" and the host countered: "Especially if your boyfriend is Jake Gyllenhaal, because he is very handsome. Y'all are just hanging out though right?"

Swift refused to deny a romance with Gyllenhaal, simply asking: "You have a picture of us on the screen, don't you?"

The singer has previously been linked to stars including Joe Jonas and Taylor Lautner.