‘Cougar curse’ topples love affairs from Shirley Ballas’ engagement to Kym Marsh split

A new celebrity relationship trend has been dubbed the “Cougar Curse” by an expert who claims public scrutiny and misaligned life stages doom them from the start

Celebrity pairings featuring older women and younger men – often dubbed “toyboy” relationships – make for glamorous headlines but a relationship expert has warned against the so-called “Cougar Curse”.

These relationships, from Shirley Ballas, 64, and Danny Taylor, 51, to Kerry Katona, 44, and Ryan Mahoney, 36, spell trouble according to Gemma Logan, a relationship expert at The Foxy Hen. She credits issues like misaligned life stages, emotional disconnects, and invasive public scrutiny for often derailing them.

“Celebrity toyboy relationships rarely last because they start with intensity but face challenges: life-stage differences, public scrutiny, energy mismatches, and emotional gaps,” Gemma told Fabulous. “Society often scrutinises older women dating younger men more harshly than the reverse,” she added.

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Public reaction can be brutal to these kinds of relationships. Actress Kym Marsh faced scathing comments when her romance with a man 19 years her junior became public, receiving messages comparing him to her son.

She condemned the online trolling and called it a shame on society. Kerry Katona, Kelly Brook, Kym Marsh and Tamzin Outhwaite have all had toyboy romances that haven’t worked out.

Emotional compatibility, too, plays a pivotal role. Kerry Katona, who split from her younger fiancé citing emotional neglect, noted that he “wasn’t there for me emotionally”.

Celebrity Shirley Ballas echoed another common age-gap issues – timing. Although protective of the relationship, she admitted ignoring early “red flags” and eventually realising that she and her younger fiance were heading in different directions.

Fitness, nightlife habits, and career priorities also matter. Gemma says younger partners bring energy and novelty, but over time discrepancies in routines, lifestyle choices, and priorities can strain a romance.

She added: “When the novelty fades, the relationship either evolves or collapses. Passion alone couldn’t overcome deeper emotional and practical mismatches.”

Kelly Brook’s high-profile romance with former Wasps rugby ace Danny Cipriani, who was eight years her junior, admitted it was a “nice ego boost” to attract someone in their 20s.

Speaking to The Times in 2010, Kelly said: “It’s a nice ego boost that someone in their 20s is attracted to you when you’re 30.

“You hit 30 and you’re like, ‘Oh, I’ve got a nice young toyboy!’ It’s fabulous.”

But not all age-gap relationships are doomed to fail. Kris Jenner, 69, and her younger partner Corey Gamble, 44, are still going strong after becoming official in 2014.

Model Rosie-Huntington-Whiteley, 37, and actor Jason Statham, 57, started dating in 2010 and wed in 2016, going on to welcome a son and daughter together.