‘Double my age’: Simple act that exposes Aussie couple’s age gap

A couple have shared the simple act that exposes their age gap and the wild comments they get about their relationship.

Alexandra Cornish and her boyfriend, Andrew, have a 20-year age gap, which is most obvious when they go to one particular place.

Ms Cornish has gone viral on social media for sharing the comical difference in how they dress for the airport.

While she opted for comfort in a stretchy dress, denim jacket, and flats, he wore a suit and saw the airport as an occasion for which you get dressed up.

“In his words, ‘we’re not catching the bus’,” she wrote.

The 26-year-old met her 48-year-old boyfriend when she was 23. She was working as a tattoo artist and he came in to get a tattoo.

“He filled out a form and I intentionally checked his age and saw that he was 46. So literally double my age,” she told news.com.au.

Ms Cornish said that when they met in 2022, the chemistry was instant and they couldn’t “stop talking”.

“Later that night, I was on the phone to my mum and joked about tattooing this amazing man, and she should guess how old he is when she said, ‘your age?’, I said ‘no, your age!’

“I thought nothing of it as I wasn’t expecting to see him again, but then right after the call.

Andrew sent me a DM saying thank you for the tattoo and asked me out. We went on a date two days later.”

They’ve been together ever since.

Ms Cornish said she does notice their age gap, but really only in positive ways. He is mature, calm, self-aware, and good at handling tough situations.

“I know some men his age wouldn’t be as well-mannered but Andrew is incredibly chivalrous. I now don’t touch a door when I’m around him as he opens them for me,” she said.

“I will intentionally slow down so that he gets there first and can open the door.”

They've been together since 2022. Picture: Instagram/alex.webbbs

She said the chemistry was instant. Picture: Instagram/alex.webbbs

The 26-year-old also loves that he doesn’t dress like a guy in his twenties. He always looks put-together.

“Comparatively to people my age, he dresses better. That’s partially why I was attracted to him at the initial appointment,” she said.

She also values how much his life “experiences” and general “knowledge” he brings to their relationship.

“We travel a lot, and I’ve stopped working full time, and so he’s encouraged me to take advantage of that and go back to university, where I’m studying an art degree,” she said.

“It was a wise decision because it’s grown my skills and broadened my scope and range as an artist. That’s benefited my tattooing, but it’s developed past that as I now create clothing designs and paintings and am growing a business that way, which is something I hadn’t considered prior.”

Ms Cornish said that it also helps that he knows what is doing in all aspects of their relationship.

“Of course, for those curious, the age gap has proved to be beneficial as experience is always a good thing in the bedroom too,” she said.

The couple travel all the time. Picture: Instagram/alex.webbbs

He encouraged her to go to back to university. Picture: Instagram/alex.webbbs

Ms Cornish said that Andrew notices their age gap when it comes to pop culture, and he is always mentioning “the original” version of some song or movie they are enjoying.

“For instance, we watched Star Wars the other night and I didn’t know if he wanted to watch the new one or old, of course it was the old,” she said.

“When discussing global events, he’ll say something didn’t happen that long ago, and it can mean 10 years, whereas for me, that’s a substantial amount of time as I would’ve been 16.”

Ms Cornish said that, for the most part, people close to them couldn’t “care less” about their age-gap because they can see how happy they are and how healthy the relationship is, but not everyone’s on board

“He’s the same age as my mum but I was upfront from the beginning with both my parents,” she said.

“I have a good relationship with my parents, and they said it was a bit uncomfortable at first, but all they want is to see me treated well and happy, and Andrew does that.”

The people that take the most issue with their age-gap romance are people online that don’t them.

“From people we’re not close with, we’ll get comments like ‘sugar daddy’, ‘gold digger’, and flippant comments like ‘it’s easy to date a younger woman when you have money’,” she said.

“Whether that stems from their own jealousy or inadequacy, I’m uncertain. If we don’t care and good friends and family don’t care, I don’t know why they think their opinion would matter.”