Can Age-Gap Romances Really Last?

Kate Beckinsale is the latest celeb to choose a younger man. But can a relationship with a toy boy survive?

- Amisha Desai, Rebecca Wright And Beverley Glick

‘If you love each other, nothing else matters’

Gillian woods, 46, lives in Ballyclare with her husband Karl, 33, and three children. Look at our wedding picture and you’ll see a happy bride and groom. Now, look more closely, and you might spot that I’m older than my husband, 14 years older in fact. But before you judge me, let me tell you why our relationship works.

Back in April 2008, I was a 36-year-old divorced mum-of-three. Busy with my hairdressing salon, I wasn’t looking for love.

But, when my friend, Angela, invited her new neighbour Karl to the pub with us, we ended up chatting in a corner, all night.

With his mop of curly hair and boyish good looks, I knew he was younger than me. But, it was only afterwards, that I found out he was just 23. Yes, I was surprised, but we got on so well, I didn’t see the harm in getting his number from Angela, and after a few chatty texts, Karl invited me to his for dinner and we shared a kiss. And so our age-gap romance began.

I must admit in those early days, the years between us did play on my mind. Despite complementing one another – I’m young at heart, while Karl is mature for his age – I worried what my friends and family would think, and told them he was 28. Likewise, when he invited me to a music festival with his mates, I prayed they wouldn’t wonder why he’d dragged along this older woman. But, to my relief, they accepted me.