Finally restrictions are lifting and life is returning to normal – it’s so nice for people to go out and get dating again!
Dating site Match.com has reported a 20 per cent growth in recent weeks, and Superdrug has reported an explosion of sales in condoms and other sexual products. I think people will be more willing to go on dates now than ever before. But my priority is seeing the girls and making up for lost time in that respect.
I’m single and before the pandemic, I really didn’t go out that much. I was a homebody – but now I’m going out five days a week! Not to date, but to see friends and catch up.
I broke up with my boyfriend during the first lockdown in 2020. We spent too much time together at home and it was a nightmare. After we split, it was hard, especially as I really missed going out with my friends and having them to lean on. But I threw myself into home workouts and healing, and finally felt happy being single.
During this lockdown, I’ve had the distraction of filming for TOWIE, so I didn’t have time to feel down about being single.
I’m excited now to meet people – and if someone nice comes along, then great. But it isn’t on my agenda to find a boyfriend.
Check out: 11 jaw-dropping TOWIE couples we completely forgot about
11 TOWIE couples you completely forgot about - slider
1 of 11Mark Wright and Sam Faiers
Mark and Sam's on/off relationship goes all the way back to when she was 16 and they met on MySpace (aw, those were the days). They briefly dated during their time on TOWIE but were never able to give things a proper go before he quit the show in 2011.
2 of 11Kirk Norcross and Amy Childs
Kirk and Amy's flirtationship was one of the main storylines during the first season of TOWIE and they eventually briefly dated before splitting in 2011. In a 2013 appearance on This Morning, Kirk admitted, "I will still love Amy until the day I die - she is literally like the girl version of me. When it didn't work out, it broke my heart really... and it wasn't her fault, it was both of our fault."
3 of 11Gemma Collins and Charlie King
Gemma and Charlie briefly dated in 2012 but split after she grew concerned about his friendship with Bobby Norris. Two years later, Charlie came out as gay during an appearance on This Morning. He's still friends with Gemma and even admitted in 2017 that he would consider being the GC's sperm donor if she asked.What a turn of events that would be.
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4 of 11Lauren Goodger and Tom Pearce
Remember the days when Joey Essex's BFF Tom Pearce romanced basically every woman within a 10 mile radius of Brentwood? Lauren Goodger became one his many conquests following her split from Mark Wright but they hit the rocks when she caught wind of him bragging about their rendezvous.
5 of 11Mario Falcone and Chloe Sims
It's fair to say Chloe Sims has been unlucky in love over the years but things looked up for her when she began dating close pal Mario. Things moved quick for the pair and she even admitted she loved him - causing friction with BFF Lauren Pope who'd previously dated Mario - but he wasn't ready to settle down and called things off.
6 of 11Harry Derbidge and Bobby Norris
After three years away from the TOWIE scene, OG cast member Harry Derbidge returned as Bobby Norris' boyfriend (in some very skimpy swimwear, nonetheless) during the cast's annual jaunt to Marbs.Their relationship ended in tears though when Harry confessed to sleeping with his ex while on holiday in Tenerife.
7 of 11Dan Osborne and Lucy Mecklenburgh
They've now found love with soap star other halves Jacqueline Jossa and Ryan Thomas but before that, Dan Osborne and Lucy Mecklenburgh were an item.They began dating in 2013 but called it quits amid claims he knew about his ex Megan Tomlin being pregnant before getting with Lucy.
8 of 11Charlie Sims and Ferne McCann
Ferne McCann's on/off relationship with Chloe Sims' brother Charlie provided LOTS of dramz on TOWIE over the years, with rumours she cheated on him cropping up more than once.Eventually Charlie publicly quit the show AND dumped Ferne at the same time in a series of tweets in 2014. Awks...
9 of 11Dan Edgar and Kate Wright
Before she wed footballer Rio and became Mrs Ferdinand, Kate Wright joined TOWIE as the ex of Dan Edgar, who reportedly dumped her to star in the show.She took him back after his romances with Lauren Pope and Jess Wright but it wasn't to be and they eventually split for good.
10 of 11Shelby Tribble and Tom McDonnell
Tom McDonnell joined TOWIE alongside a whole host of newbies including Harry Lee and Chloe Brockett in 2019 and soon caught the eye of Shelby Tribble following her split from Sam Mucklow.Sam soon came back on the scene though and Shelby dumped Tom to reunite with her ex. Sam and Shelby later quit the show together and are now expecting their first child.
11 of 11James Argent and Jasmin Walia
In between his long-running relationships with Lydia Bright and Gemma Collins, James Argent was set up on a blind date with Jasmin Walia and they appeared to hit it off. Things seemed to move too quickly for his liking though, causing him to run from her house after being introduced to her parents. Oh, Arg...
Lockdown made me realise how much I value my girlfriends, so I’ll be spending my time with them. I don’t want to be tied down at the moment – I think right now is definitely a great time to be single.
I can’t think of anything worse than being at home and having a takeaway indoors with a boyfriend – absolutely not!
If there’s another lockdown, at least I know I made full use of spending time with the people I love.
WATCH: TOWIE's Chloe Meadows, Amber Turner and Courtney Green on why you should "never buy a man an expensive gift"
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‘There’s nothing wrong with getting a tattoo in your fifties!’
Ulrika Jonsson has shown off a tattoo she got recently as a tribute to her bulldog, Nessie, who passed away last year.
I love that! I love my dog Reggie and can understand how losing a pet is like losing a family member.
I got a tattoo of a tiny anchor on my finger recently – it was just something to symbolise me feeling really grounded and learning to love myself. It’s great when tattoos really mean something to you.
There were some people writing that you should only get a tattoo when you’re young – screw that! There’s nothing wrong with getting a tattoo at 53 or any age.
When I’m older, I want to be someone that looks and feels 30, when I’m actually 50! Age is just a number so if Ulrika wanted to get a tattoo in her fifties, good on her.
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