A WIFE has defended the 32 year age-gap relationship with her husband who’s older than both her parents – saying she wouldn’t want a man her own age anyway.
Olivia Eden, 31, is younger than her 63-year-old hubby’s three children – including a daughter nine years her senior who has become one of her best friends.
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The couple met when Olivia was just 22 and, after she told him on their first date that she wanted marriage and children, they were engaged just three weeks later.
Now Babestation model Olivia is defending their 32-year age gap after Disney+ comedy-drama Alice and Steve sparked fresh debate about romances between older men and younger women.
The series sees Steve begin a relationship with Izzy, the 26-year-old daughter of his best friend Alice.
But Olivia says people are far too quick to judge couples simply because of their ages.
And she insists she has no interest in men her own age, having always dated partners at least 20 years her senior.
She said “My husband is actually older than my parents.
“All of his children are at least seven years older than me. But honestly, I never notice the age gap.
“If other people put more effort into their own lives rather than commenting on mine, they would probably be just as happy as we are.
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“And to be honest I have always preferred dating older men.
“I have never dated guys my age, most men I have dated have been at least 20 years older than me.
“There is just something about older men that I love. There’s no comparison to them and guys my age.
‘My husband looks like he has been carved by an angel.”
For Olivia, the attraction isn’t just physical – she says older men offer the old-fashioned “manners and chivalry” she believes are missing from younger generations.
She said: “Little things like always opening the car door for me, holding the umbrella and not letting me walk on the outside of the pavement along a main road.
“These days younger men take longer to get ready than me and I’m not here for that.”
The couple first met at the gym, where Olivia noticed him smiling and waving at her. She recognised him from Facebook and decided to get his attention.
Olivia, who has over 46,900 followers on Instagram, said: “He was giving me cheeky smiles and waving at me.
“I knew I recognised him from Facebook. I went through liking all of his photos to get his attention so that he would message me.
“He sent a message asking me out for dinner, so I just sent him my number.
“I knew we were getting married already. I didn’t want to waste any more time.”
Olivia made her intentions crystal clear on their very first date.
She said: “He was obviously divorced and had three children, all older than me.
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“I said, ‘I want to get married and have kids, so if you don’t want to do it again, don’t waste my time.’
“Three weeks later he proposed.”
Despite the unusual family dynamic, Olivia says her own family barely reacted when she revealed the age difference.
And while she is convinced strangers assume she is a gold digger who married him for his money, she says she couldn’t care less.
The glamour model, from Nottingham, said: “Honestly, nobody really batted an eyelid.
“My family are just content that I am happy and know what I am doing.
“I’m 1,000% sure that people like to say I’m a gold digger behind my back.
“People are just jealous and don’t understand that we can be happy with an age gap – but we are.”
Her husband’s three children are all older than Olivia, with the daughter she is closest to nine years her senior.
But rather than creating an awkward stepmother-stepdaughter dynamic, Olivia says the pair became fast friends.
Olivia said: “We were instant best friends. We got on like a house on fire and still do.
“She was a glamour model growing up too, an absolute icon, so we immediately became so close.
“I’m not trying to be anyone’s stepmum, but it is an occasional joke.
“I don’t mind having a laugh with them about the gap because I know it’s all in good nature. They can see I make their dad happy and that’s all that matters.”
Despite the age gap, Olivia says the pair don’t have many generational differences.
She said: “I am an old soul. Old music and black and white films are my all-time favourites.
“If he mentions something that happened back before the mid-90s assuming I know what he means, I just say, ‘I don’t babe, I wasn’t born yet.’”
The couple, who have been together for nine years and married for five, are still hopeful that their future will involve children.
Olivia said: “The children part hasn’t happened yet but it will when it is meant to.”
And Olivia says people need to stop treating relationships like hers as automatically doomed or inappropriate.
She added: “It is most definitely not too big to work.
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“Any age gap will work so long as your man feels appreciated and feels like a king in his own home.
“People need to stop judging age-gap relationships.”