‘I wasn’t into playing around’: How these celebrities found love

Bianca Spender, fashion designer, and Sam McGuinness

Credit: Hugh Stewart

Bianca: I first noticed Sam at the University of NSW. We attended some lectures together, but I didn’t know his name; I did, however, instantly notice his bouncy walk. We officially met at a gig in Sydney in 2005. I tried to catch his attention, but he didn’t see me; I later found out he was short-sighted. I then plucked up the courage to tell him that night that I had noticed him at university and we got talking. I ended up giving him a lift home after the gig. I drove past my apartment and discovered he lived only two blocks away from my home. Nothing happened that night, but a few days later he emailed and invited me to dinner. We connected and got on well immediately. In the first few months we started talking about kids. I am a very upfront person and told him I wasn’t into playing around, and he wasn’t, either. In 2006, we moved in together. Sam even taught me how to ride a push bike at 29. I am the expressive Italian of our family, emotive with big feelings, while Sam is the cool calm and collected one.

Juliet Love, presenter on Better Homes & Gardens, and Charlie Albone

Juliet: Charlie and I met at a screen test 14 years ago for the Lifestyle Channel’s TV series Party Garden. I’m an interior designer and had never worked in TV; Charlie was the seasoned professional. I was chatty and friendly with him, but I couldn’t get two words out. I left thinking that this guy is so rude. It was only once we started working together that I realised it was nerves that overcame him. Charlie asked me on a date that year. I initially said no as I felt it didn’t look great that we were co-hosts getting romantically involved. Fortunately, he persisted. I knew we were meant to be together after our first date. I am an only child and very close to my parents and hold family dear, and Charlie is the same. He speaks to his mum in the UK all the time and has the same family values as me. He’s always been into English gardens and I prefer European ones, but over the years those two styles have met, and as a result we have become better designers for appreciating each other’s opinions. As time goes on, you have to put time into a relationship and keep dating each other. We are mindful to make time for each other.

Angelina Thomson, actor on Home and Away, and Lachlan Dearing

I met Lachlan when we performed together in the musical A Chorus Line at the Sydney Opera House two years ago. I had met him before, but this was a chance to get to know him better. One thing led to another and we left as a couple. Lachlan is a very generous, kind-hearted man who caught my eye. He would turn up to rehearsals 15 minutes early and ask the cast who needed a coffee. I found that attractive. I made the first move by inviting him to come to the beach one day with my best friend. He proceeded to invite a bunch of other people and I thought, ‘I didn’t plan on inviting everyone.’ He didn’t pick up on my cues but eventually did! We have mostly been in a long-distance relationship ever since. He is presently performing in Hamilton, which has seen him move from Auckland to Singapore and Abu Dhabi. That experience has forced us to communicate and pick up on one another’s energy over the phone. We share a mutual understanding of our careers and spent Christmas together with both our families, which was nice. This is my first romantic relationship and it’s been a blessing to be with someone who wants a family and who is all about loyalty and commitment.

Nicole O’Neil, Real Housewives of Sydney star, and Adam O’Neil

I met Adam through a cousin when I was 15, but nothing eventuated at that point. It wasn’t until I was 21 and moved back to Australia from Beirut, where I had been living, that I saw him in a different light. I met Adam for lunch on the same day as the 2000 Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony and found I really liked him; this is when I saw him as someone potentially more than a friend. Two years later I was crowned Miss Australia and placed fifth in the Miss World International competition in the UK. That’s when Adam proposed, asking if I would return to Australia as Mrs O’Neil. I remember sitting at Selfridges in London and eating a two-pound soup with him. He didn’t pull out a ring and ask me to marry him; it was more a joint discussion. We got married in Las Vegas on the way back to Australia. Friendship always came first with us, and we have grown up together. I was 24 when I married and our relationship works because we have a common goal and morals. We have two daughters, now aged 17 and 19. When our eldest was two, we moved to London, then I moved back to Australia in 2017 to raise the kids here; Adam remained in London for two more years and would commute back and forth. That wasn’t easy but we figured it out. When I asked him if I could do Real Housewives Of Sydney, he told me he didn’t want to be involved, but was there to back me. He just lets me be me.

Erin Holland, ambassador for Mx Skincare, and Ben Cutting

I met my husband, Ben, on Instagram in 2009 when the app was in its infancy. I had made a comment on a beautiful photo of him and the late cricketer Phillip Hughes. Ben was playing in the Big Bash League at the time and based in Brisbane and I was in Sydney. He asked me if I wanted tickets to watch a game with a friend. He then told me if I was ever in Brisbane over Christmas or New Year’s, he would love to take me out for dinner. When we met, I knew immediately I wanted to be with him, so had to decide if I could do long-distance dating. During COVID-19, we were apart for long periods of time, which was hard. When we got married in 2021, just two days later he disappeared for four-and-a-half months to play cricket. We are used to these chunks of time apart and social media does make it easier. Finding someone supportive of my career as much as I am of his works for us. We don’t get a lot of time to chill on the couch and are bound by what our schedules throw up at us. We love one another so much; you also realise that one person can’t be everything for you, that’s why family and friends are always there, too.

Clare Bowditch, musician, and Marty Brown

Marty and I met in 1998 as students during a band rehearsal in a share house. I was jamming with my friend John when one of the tallest men I had ever seen walked into the room; he ducked to get in the door. Marty sat at the drum kit and we quickly formed a close friendship. He was smart and gorgeous. We kept a strict friend and band mateship for the first five years of knowing each other, but there was a notable slip one night out of the blue when we had a pash. We looked at each other and I had that feeling of, ‘I couldn’t stand the thought of losing him as a friend if this didn’t work out.’ We waited until we were aged 25 to commit, then immediately moved in together and started a family. In the 22 years we have been partners, I feel incredibly lucky to have music in common with him. It’s been hard balancing the child-rearing and financial challenges of being a musician, and to keep that love of music together. To this day, Marty is still my drummer. When I am on stage with him, we still have fun regardless of what is going on in our lives.

Monte Morgan, musician, and Maggie McKeand

I have been with my wife, Maggie, for 16 years. We went to school at Geelong Grammar, but didn’t know each other at the time. We met while skiing at Mount Buller. She was snowboarding and had hurt her knee and couldn’t do much as it turned into a hematoma, so the next day I stayed with her on the slope and took care of her as she hobbled around. My band, Client Liaison (who recently collaborated with Vodka Cruiser), released our first song in 2012. It’s been hard touring at times and being away from each other, but we always manage to keep things exciting. Maggie is very grounded, which is good for me. She works in not-for-profits and is Captain Community! We married in 2017 and have a five-year-old daughter. We had some struggles with IVF and found talking about it helped us and others. We share a passion for food, travel and cooking. She remembers how I made her a good salad dressing early on when we started dating. It’s simple things like dining together at home we love most.

Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox every Monday.