18yo claps back at age gap relationship critics

An 18-year-old woman has revealed she is “talked down to” by thousands of people daily due to her relationship with a man 42 years her senior.

Staff writers

2 min read

May 24, 2024 - 5:30PM

Friday, May 24 | Top stories | From the Newsroom

An 18-year-old woman dating a man 42 years her senior has hit back at those who disapprove of their relationship.

Nikeisha Lightfoot met her partner, Dimitrios Fotis, 60, when he delivered her takeaway back in 2022.

The couple, from England, “connected instantly” and their relationship has become stronger ever since.

But not everyone has approved.

Ms Lightfood documents the couple’s relationship online, and often receives hateful comments from people about their age different.

Nikeisha Lightfoot met her partner, Dimitrios Fotis, 60, when he delivered her a kebab takeaway back in 2022. Picture: Jam Press

She is frequently told to “date someone your own age” and says she is talked down to by thousands of people on a day-to-day basis.

Ms Lightfoot went on to defend her relationship in an interview, telling What’s The Jam she wished people knew love had no age limit.

“We fell in love with each other – there is no catch to it. We instantly connected when we first met and spoke for a while,” she said.

“We went away together to get to know each other more.

18yo claps back at age gap relationship critics

“Older men are more experienced.”

For the happy couple, it all started when personal trainer, Mr Fotis, was working as a delivery driver, and delivered Ms Lightfoot a takeaway dinner, The Sun reported.

Sharing the story in a video on TikTok with her 60,000 followers, she explained that she was ordering food most nights due to working two jobs, one as a cleaner, and one in a Chinese restaurant.

They kept bumping into each other. Picture: Jam Press

“I used to go home and get a takeaway because it would be so late by the time I’d get back, and I’d just get it from the local one around the corner. He [Dimitrios] used to deliver it every night,” Ms Lightfoot said.

“I used to say to him on the delivery note ‘can you call me when you’re outside’ because it was late and I had younger siblings, and I was on the top floor.

“So he would call me when he was outside, I’d go out and get the kebab, and then from there – I never used to see him before – we just kept bumping into each other in the street.”

The two would say hello when they passed each other in public, but one evening when going to the local shop, Ms Lightfood spotted Mr Fotis waiting nearby for a delivery.

She hadn’t been feeling well and said she was in her pyjamas and looking “rough” when Mr Fotis asked her how she was feeling, and recommended she make a lemon tea to feel better.