‘Lockdown gave me and asecond chance’ my ex
LOCK DOWN MAYY BECOMING TO AN END BUT IT HAS ACTUALLY DONE WONDERS DONE WONDERS FOR OUR LOVE LIVES. BIBI LYNCH DISCOVERS WHY IT’S BEEN A GOOD TIME TO DATE
FROM newlyweds who still adore each other’s faces to oldlyweds who can’t face another anniversary, to singles who don’t even remember what other faces look like, the trials of love in lockdown have hit us all.
A survey by StoryTerrace, a biography company that turns people’s life stories into books, found over 33 per cent of the nation – nearly 12 million Brits – say they want to be in love more than ever before.
So how have people been finding love in lockdown when we can’t leave our homes? According to the study, over half the nation say the pandemic has strengthened their romantic relationship, and nearly 2.5 million Brits say they have reconnected with
an ex. This happened to Josh Miller, 34, a website design manager from Hartlepool. He moved in with his ex, Sarah,
32, during lockdown – and they’ve decided to give their relationship another go.
The decision to spend lockdown together was made so the couple could be with four-year-old daughter
Lily but Josh also felt the relationship was worth another try.
‘Living together again reminded me of our early memories as a couple,’ says Josh, ‘and also gave us the opportunity to make more happy memories as a family. This was also the first time in years that Lily saw us cooperating and happy – which in itself made our relationship stronger.’
Has the pandemic saved them as a couple?
‘It gave us a second chance,’ says Josh. ‘We are mindful of putting too much pressure on ourselves this time, as that is what caused many of our previous issues, and I was worried about how everything would turn out – but it’s been the best decision for all of us.’
And others have actually met new people. Rory Johnston, 24, a senior account manager of a workplace benefits firm who lives in Tooting, met his girlfriend, Selina, 23, during lockdown last July on a dating app.
Rory’s profile was recommended to Selina by a mutual friend who was also on the app and, at the end of this month, eight months after meeting, they’re moving into a flat together. Too soon? Rory says not.
‘We actually had a trial period because we spent the November lockdown together at my parents’ place,’ he says. ‘We ironed out any potential issues so when my flatmate said they were moving out, we decided to go for it, even though we’d only been together five months. I’m grateful I was fortunate to find Selina when we could actually meet between lockdowns.’
However, it hasn’t been happy endings for everyone, with more than three million Brits saying the pandemic made them fall out of love or break up with their partner.
And for singles, it has made nearly ten million Brits worry about how this year will affect their future love life.
Jennifer Tadias, a 37-year-old teacher from Sydenham, south London, broke up with her boyfriend in June. She sa says the pandemic and lo lockdown ‘decimated’ their ye year-long relationship.
As Jennifer explains: ‘H ‘He moved in for the March lockdown and by the h end of May our rel relationship had fallen ap apart. We had a brilliant eig eight months together but the then Covid happened, he mo moved in and the toxic arguments destroyed us. I became busy and distracted, and he went into a dark hole. The relationship imploded.
‘I’ve lost a year because of Covid and this makes me really emotional. How old will I be when this is over? I desperately want babies. But even though Covid devastated my relationship, it can’t ruin my chances of having a family too. So in September I froze my eggs and hopefully hit the fertility pause button.’
Has Jennifer tried to date since? ‘There’s no point,’ she says. ‘Even if you find someone you like, you can’t actually meet. But I can’t control it. In the same way really bad things happen, really amazing things can happen too.’
Fingers crossed, lovers.
‘I was fortunate to find someone when we could actually meet between lockdowns’