I’m 20 & my man’s 55 – people think he’s my dad as I’m younger than his kids, they might call us weird but we don’t care
A 55-YEAR-OLD property developer claims he is glad he 'didn't meet his fiancee sooner'… as she's 20 and is younger than his own kids.
Nicole Jones met Shahin Farjami when she was 18 and he was 54 on a night out in London in February 2023 and sparks quickly flew after they bonded over travelling.
Despite their difference in years, they got engaged in October 2023, just eight months after knowing each other, and insist their 'strong connection' is more important than age, which is 'just a number'.
Both families are accepting of the age-gap relationship, although Shahin admitted that two of his four children are older than Nicole and were initially 'shocked' when they heard the news.
The 20-year-old stay-at-home girlfriend is frequently accused of only being with the property developer for money and that he could be her dad which makes her feel 'weird'.
The lovers decided to document their unconventional relationship on TikTok to prove there's 'a lot more to it' than their age difference.
READ MORE ON RELATIONSHIPS
One post captioned, 'I'm glad we didn't meet sooner', shows the couple during the 2000s, which has now gone viral with 50,000 views.
The photo compilation shows Shahin smiling at one of his children's school graduation ceremonies, before showing Nicole sleeping as a baby only a few months old.
Another post shows footage of the couple addressing comments about their age gap relationship while driving in the car.
You can hear the 55-year-old say 'there is quite a big age gap and I get some people are going to be weird about it, I get that. But it works. For us'.
Nicole admitted she has often gone for older men in the past because they are more 'experienced in life', so 'wasn't thrown off' when Shahin first approached her while she was out at a London bar with friends.
Nicole, who lives with Shahin in Reigate, Surrey, said: "I'm quite open-minded. I wasn't thrown off by him.
"I was speaking to him like normal. Our chat was flowing and it was really good. He suggested meeting up the next day and we did.
"My friends weren't even surprised by it either because they know age isn't a thing for me. In my past relationships the man has usually been older.
"Older men are much more experienced in life and I like that. They're at the stage in life that they want to settle down and don't want the party phase.
"He's definitely changed me as a person to be more mature but that was for the better.
"Love comes in so many forms and different ways. Age doesn't really matter. It's just how two people feel about each other.
"I don't think it's an age thing. It's on the individual. I could speak to someone my age but have nothing in common. Just because we could have two completely different personalities and goals in life."
The 20-year-old admitted she often receives comments calling Shahin her dad and accusing her of using him for money which make her feel 'weird', however, the couple have learned to 'laugh it off'.
Nicole said: "It makes me feel weird. I'm not a user. I'm not going to use someone for my own benefit. It also makes me want to prove to people that I'm not with him for the money because it makes me look bad.
"I get comments that he could be my dad. It makes me feel weird but we just laugh it off. Especially on videos where he is clearly not my dad.
"We don't really care what people have to say or think. The comments don't really get to us so it's not going to get in between us or break us down.
"We communicate really well so if anything does bother us we work around it and get through it."
Despite Nicole's mum's initial concerns, the daughter revealed her family have been extremely accepting of her relationship and Shahin has even secured her dad's seal of approval, despite having never met him.
Nicole said: "At first my mum was worried for me. She asked me if I was sure and if I felt safe.
"After she met him she turned round and said 'I really like him' and I thought 'what did you expect'. She was completely fine with it after meeting him. They've seen each other a few times now. She doesn't have anything bad to say about him.
"My dad hasn't met him yet. When I told my dad he was fine, he didn't say much. He said 'as long as I'm happy'."
Shahin addressed suggestions from trolls online that the couple do not share anything in common given their large age gap.
The property developer revealed that the pair bonded over food, fitness, being 'silly' together and travelling to various places, including Milan, Marrakech and the Maldives.
Shahin said: "People question that, how do I, as a more mature guy, have anything in common with a young girl but she's quite an old soul and I'm a bit of an idiot really.
"We feel connected. We both feel there's a strong connection there. It felt very natural very quickly.
"We bonded over travel more than anything. We've had a few nice trips together already and got some coming up.
"We're both real foodies. We love going to nice restaurants but also a dirty burger and Borough Market. We like cooking together.
"We both love working out. We go to the gym and do classes together. I used to be a personal trainer so we had a lot of that in common. She wanted to get healthier and I was injured at the time we met so we both got into health and fitness together.
A-list age gap relationships that have stood the test of time
- Kris Jenner & Corey Gamble - 25 years
The Kardashian matriarch met her younger man at a mutual friend's 40th birthday party in Ibiza. They've been together since August 2014. - Sam & Aaron Taylor-Johnson - 23 years
The director and actor reportedly met at a film audition in 2009, and were married by 2012. The pair share two daughters and Sam has two children from a previous marriage. - Rosie-Huntington-Whiteley & Jason Statham - 20 years
The model started dating actor Jason in 2010. They were wed in 2016 and have since welcomed a son and a daughter together. - Catherine Zeta-Jones & Michael Douglas - 25 years
The pair was introduced at a film festival in 1996 and engaged three years later. Shortly after their engagement, the couple welcomed a son and married in 2000.
"Also, we're both just pretty silly together. We both like messing around. I work a hard job day in and day out and we get along well when we're chilling and taking it easy."
The father-of-four admitted that two of his grown up kids are a few years older than Nicole and were 'shocked' when they first learned about their dad's relationship, however, have come to accept it.
Shahin said: "I have two grown up kids who live in Australia at the moment. Interestingly they are older than Nicole so that was fun. They were shocked at first but okay now.
"Although it's quite a new relationship as we've only been together just over a year, we've moved on probably a lot more than the people around us in terms of the relationship being a normal thing. That's fair enough, it takes time. I still have a good relationship with my kids."
The 55-year-old revealed that while 'age is not even a factor' to the couple, they are constantly reminded of it with people even questioning if they are in a relationship.
However, the pair are happy to draw attention to their age-gap on TikTok to normalise their relationship and help to spread awareness to others.
Shahin said: "In terms of characters and the way we are and interact with each other, age is not even a factor. We don't even think about it. Age is just a number.
"We get reminded of it when people mention it. Obviously we're trying to make a thing of it as well in a positive way.
"Even out and about in everyday life it amazes me how often people say 'are you a couple'. You wouldn't go up to anyone else and ask that. They can see we are a couple.
"At first they are obviously surprised and that's why they're asking but then they say 'that's nice, you look good together'.
"I never know how to take stuff like that. Is it sarcastic? Is it tongue and cheek?
"There's not as much acceptance or understanding of it in the UK."
That's why the couple decided to make a TikTok, so they could show people that they're really no different than any other couple.
"Hopefully people see for themselves there's a lot more to it than me just wanting to be with a younger woman because she's attractive and her wanting to be with me because I have money.
"We're very much a partnership. She does her bit to allow me to do what I do work wise.
I get comments that he could be my dad. It makes me feel weird but we just laugh it off
Nicole Jones
"We've had some really weird comments about age. We've had people picturing me knocking on 80 while other people picture me in my 30s and 40s."
The 55-year-old urges age gap couples to place value on 'strong communication' and honesty to ensure they are on the same page despite their contrasting life experiences.
Shahin said: "I'd say the key to a successful relationship is strong communication and being open with each other.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"Especially in an age gap relationship, because you're both at a very different space in life so you need to be clear and upfront about big things in life.
"For example, things like having kids or not is a biggie. It just worked out that Nicole isn't particularly keen on having kids so it wasn't an issue or a factor."
