'I married a man I met on Instagram'

Ella-Mae Michalski, 35, from Hampshire, tells new about her whirlwind romance with American Geovanny Figueroa, 36, and how their relationship has progressed to marriage and kids

- KATE SKELTON

I was busy studying for my law degree in August 2017 when a message pinged on my phone, interrupting my thought process. I usually only got messages on Instagram from people I knew, but I didn’t recognise the sender so I took a quick peek at his profile. There were lots of pictures of him with his family and he was good-looking so, intrigued, I decided to reply.

Soon we were messaging every day. We had loads in common – we both loved football and discussed the Premier League, we had similar taste in music and movies. Geo lived with his family and was studying to be a teacher. I was also studying and I’m family-orientated.

We were both single. I’d had several relationships before but always seemed to go for unsuitable boyfriends, causing myself heartache. My last relationship ended when I realised my boyfriend was cheating on me.

Every time Geo got in touch, my heart skipped a beat. Talking to him online was one of the highlights of my day and I knew I was falling for him.

After a few months he suggested we meet for a coffee. “Where are you based?” he asked. I explained I lived in Chelsea and was delighted when Geo said that wasn’t far from him. But there was a complication – while I meant Chelsea, London, Geo thought I was in Chelsea, Massachusetts.

I couldn’t believe it. I’d assumed he was in the UK, he’d assumed I was in the US and there were oceans and thousands of miles between us. I typed back. “We should forget this. It’s not going to happen. You are so far away, how could things possibly work? I don’t think we should message anymore.”