Thalia Heffernan has opened up about her relationship with Ryan McShane and how their age gap doesn’t affect them.
The couple, who have been dating for over a year, have ten years between them.
Thalia met her man when she was competing Dancing with the Stars, while pro-dancer Ryan was paired with actress Denise McCormack.
Speaking exclusively to VIP Magazine, she says that initially, she didn’t realise there was an age difference.
“Everyone jokes to me, “oh you’re mad for an older man” but I didn’t even know what age he was when I met him.
She added: “And he’s a child at heart, which I love. I’ve never met anyone who makes me laugh as much as Ryan makes me laugh. I never know what to expect with him either, sometimes I’ll come home from work and I’ll have no idea what he has planned for the night – it’s always fun!”
When asked about whether they have different interests and whether they both like wild nights out, she said: “I mean, I like going on nights out but I’m not totally mad on them. I prefer having a big blow out every now and then than every weekend!
“I think both of us are very career-driven and very busy all the time, so I think we’d both prefer to have a busy day and then enjoy a glass of wine at home rather than going out. The two of us have both been working from a young age, I started modelling at 15 – so we both totally relate on a ‘driven’ level.”
23-year-old Thalia also opened up about what Ryan has taught her since being in a relationship.
“He always tells me to live in the moment,” she said.
“As someone who is a big worrier, that’s something I have always struggled with. He’s taught me to not get worked up and think about the past and so on, to just live in the now. He’s also taught me to trust, massively. We both share that with each other – infinite trust. That brings great comfort.”
You can read loads more on what Thalia has to say about her relationship, work, her love of animals and much more in the March issue of VIP Magazine, on shelves now.
