I’m 28 and my husband’s 61, people assume he’s my dad or that I’m a gold-digger but it’s real love
Hannah Van Noot has revealed how she is often mistaken for her husband's daughter because of their giant age gap.
Hannah Van Noot, from Holland and Shaun Murray, from the UK, met online six years ago.
The pair found each other on YouTube where they bonded over their love of music after Hannah was impressed by his Queen - ‘We are the Champions’ guitar cover.
The nurse, 28, was instantly attracted to Shaun, 61, a dad of two and expressed her feelings for him.
Six years on, the pair are happily married and live in Maidstone, Kent, but strangers often assume their relationship is 'transactional.'
Hannah said: "People often mistake us for father and daughter but we don't mind.
"Sometimes we play along with it or just simply correct them.
"We aren’t a sensitive couple as we know it's a genuine mistake."
But the couple find people often assume their age gap means their relationship is transactional.
"Some assume immigration or intimacy in return for financial gain.
“It can be hard for people to understand we don’t need each other to gain something but we genuinely want each other.
"We are two consenting adults who care for each other deeply and that is all that matters.
"His age doesn’t come into the equation, if people didn't point it out, I wouldn’t even notice."
The couple have learnt to shrug off the negative comments and say they know their love is real and that's what matters.
Hannah and Shaun, who is a musician, got married last month after six years in a relationship.
After speaking on YouTube the pair decided to meet up in person in the UK.
At first, Shaun was reluctant to take their platonic relationship to the next stage because of the age gap, but Hannah took an instant liking to him.
She adds: “Music was the driving force behind our relationship as I am a singer.
“When we met in person, I was instantly attracted, he wasn’t because of the age gap.
“But I could tell Shaun was an all-round nice guy.
“I told him I like him, and it snowballed from there.
“We kept it a secret for a good few months as we wanted to see where it was going without too much pressure.
“I have never dated an older man before and Shaun has never been with a younger woman, so it was very new to both of us.
“There were a few obstacles such as the age gap and the distance so the future was unknown, but our feelings grew stronger and stronger.”
In 2018, Hannah moved to the UK and the loved-up couple are now proud homeowners.
She said: “There’s a perception about age gap relationships, that the older man will provide financial support for intimacy, but this isn’t the case.
“Once our families saw us together, they couldn’t conclude anything other than we are genuinely in love.
“Our families approve and that is all that matters, we don’t care about strangers' opinions.”
Comparing her relationship to previous ones, Hannah describes it as ‘drama-free’.
She said: “I always say in previous relationships, partners have taught me to love them, but Shaun has taught me to love myself.
“It’s a beautiful thing.
“Personally, I find guys my age full of testosterone and can be insecure about their masculinity.
“They want to show that they are a man which often comes across as arrogant.
“Being with Shaun, is a drama free life.
“We have a calm and centred, stable but passionate relationship."
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