HAVING a younger boyfriend can be tough work – as Kim Kardashian has found out – but my experience has been nothing but joy.
The reality star, 41, dumped boyfriend of nine months Pete Davidson, 28, after becoming “totally exhausted” by keeping up with the comic.
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Meanwhile, ex-EastEnders star Michelle Collins has happily announced she’s marrying her fiance Mike Davidson — who is 22 years her junior.
I’m 60, and I started dating my fiance, Ben Ofoedu, 50, a singer, in 2005.
For us, age really is just a number — but people are always fascinated by our relationship.
I’ll tell everyone that having a younger man is great — but there are a few things to bear in mind.
This is my guide to making it work . . .
Don’t pretend you are younger: Be honest about your age difference.
You don’t want to fall into the trap that Demi Moore fell into with Ashton Kutcher.
She was forever wanting to appear more youthful by getting knee lifts and elbow lifts and who knows what else.
You must remember that they have chosen you as you are — knowing that you were older.
Remember they will catch up: I never wore glasses until I hit 44 and I started having to hold the menu in restaurants further and further away.
Very gratifyingly, now Ben has just turned 50 and has begun reaching for my glasses.
It all evens out in the end — they aren’t going to stay young for ever.
Find someone who embraces your family: When you have younger children, a partner is going to have to fit in around their schedule.
You have to find someone who sees your children as a bonus and wants to get involved in family life.
When I met Ben my daughters were older but if I had younger daughters, we would have come as a package.
Or wait until kids are older: Michelle Collins has really lucked out and found a keeper who is younger.
It probably helps that Michelle’s daughter is all grown up.
You can focus on somebody else and your kids won’t feel displaced because they probably aren’t living at home anymore.
When you’re older and independent, you can stay out all night and you don’t have to do the school run in the morning.
Ignore the naysayers: Ben and I were open about our ages when we got together.
I was actually relieved because I thought Ben was even younger when I met him when he was 34. I thought he was more like 24.
We coped with any judgement or criticism by completely ignoring it.
Let them keep you young: You might assume everyone thinks a certain way about something because all your friends do.
Because your partner is much younger, they actually have a fresh eye, a fresh view.
They’re not so cynical — they don’t remember from last time because they weren’t born yet or they were just a kid.
I went to see the musical Evita recently for what must have been the 85th time.
I took Ben and it was a thrill to watch him enjoy something so much for the first time.
Don’t try to hide changes: I pretended the menopause wasn’t happening in order to look spicy and attractive.
I probably kept that up for about a month. You can’t keep doing it.
They are going to ask: “Why do you keep putting the duvet on and off 57 times in one night?”
You just have to own up and hope they love you just the way you are.
Give their interests a go: Ben’s a nightclub kind of guy and when we first started dating would stay up until four or five in the morning.
I’d be there in the early hours but secretly wishing I was in bed.
We have separate interests a lot of the time. But we do give each other’s interests a whirl — now I do like nightclubs and live music.
Don’t think you’ll never have to look after them: I was never looking for a younger man.
But one benefit is you are unlikely to be your partner’s nursemaid, wheeling them about in old age — although you never know.
When Ben had Covid I was his maid with meals on trays and all that palaver.
Don’t assume a rocky patch is because of your age gap: Often the reason why relationships break isn’t necessarily age.
Pete Davidson is a serial dater who has been out with lots of women and it never seems to get past a few months — regardless of age.
Kim’s an incredibly successful celebrity and a massive business mogul.
They were at such different stages in life.
Don’t make your life more important than theirs because you’re older.
They are the star of their own life and not you.
Kim Kardashian, 41, & Pete Davidson, 28
KIM got together with Pete last year in the midst of her divorce from Kanye West.
But the age difference as well as her four children became too much for the couple.
A source said: “Pete is totally spontaneous and impulsive and wants her to fly to New York, or wherever he is, on a moment’s notice.
“But Kim has four kids and it isn’t that easy. She needs to focus on the kids.”
Britney Spears, 40, & Sam Asghari, 28
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NEWLYWEDS Britney and Sam tied the knot after meeting on a music video shoot for her track Slumber Party six years ago.
Iranian Sam works as a model and has turned his hand to acting since meeting the singer.
He said: “Just being in a relationship with someone that has achieved so much, so many great things and at such a young age kinda gives me the understanding and teaches me so much for the little things I’m gonna achieve or the big things.”
Heidi Klum 49, & Tom Kaulitz, 32
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AFTER divorcing husband Seal, model Heidi met Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom in 2018.
With 17 years apart, the couple said they bonded over their shared German nationality before marrying in 2019.
She said: “You have to just live a happy life without worrying too much about what people think because worrying is only going to give you more wrinkles.”
Helena Bonham Carter, 55, & Rye Dag Holmboe, 33
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THE Harry Potter actress met Norwegian art historian Rye Dag in 2018 at a wedding.
Despite the 23-year age difference, Helena calls him an “old soul”.
She said: “Everybody ages at a different rate.
“My boyfriend is unbelievably mature. He’s an old soul in a young body, what more could I want?
“People are slightly frightened of older women, but he isn’t. Women can be very powerful when they’re older.”
Olive Wilde, 38, & Harry Styles, 28
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ONE Direction star Harry surprised fans by hooking up with Olivia – the director of the film he starred in.
But it’s not Harry’s first rodeo with a cougar after reportedly dating Natalie Imbruglia and Caroline Flack.
A source said: “Clearly they’re enjoying themselves and the age gap really isn’t a thing.
“Harry has obviously famously had a thing for older women but he’s just extremely mature himself, you’d never think there was a decade between them.”
Priyanka Chopra, 40, & Nick Jonas 30
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FORMER Disney star Nick wooed Matrix Resurrections actress Priyanka over Twitter before marrying in 2019.
Together they had their first child in January via surrogate.
Priyanka joked about the age difference: “He teaches me how to use TikTok, for example, and I teach him what a successful acting career looks like.”
Shakira, 45, & Gerard Pique, 35
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ALTHOUGH they share the same birthday, exes Shakira and Spanish footballer Pique are a decade apart in age.
They met on the set of her South African world cup anthem Waka Waka and had two kids together.
Long before their split this year, Shakira said: “I know he’s the one person who is with me not because of any interest other than the love that unites us.”
Michelle Collins, 60, & Mike Davidson 38
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ENDERS star Michelle and fashion boss Mike are set to marry next week after a decade together.
The actress’s daughter Maia-Rose is just 13 years younger than Mike.
Michelle said: “It drives me mad. People call him my toyboy beau.
“He turned to me the other day and said, ‘Surely I’m not still your toyboy, am I?’
