Holly Carpenter has revealed why she is “happier than ever” with her boyfriend Jamie Hunt.
The model started dating the salesman in 2020, and their relationship has gone from strength to strength since.
In an exclusive interview with Goss.ie, the 30-year-old shared the secret to a happy relationship, as she gushed about her beau.
She told us: “I’m happier than ever now… I think meeting my boyfriend Jamie during lockdown made such a big difference for me. I had been living alone, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to meet someone.”
“I suppose I’ve always been quite a romantic person and thought maybe that person was out there for me, but I didn’t know if I’d ever meet someone I could be 100% myself with and who is so supportive.”
“Obviously what I do for work is so different, and I haven’t always felt that support from partners. It’s really nice to have someone who, with anything I do, is so supportive. Jamie is always like, ‘Oh my god you’ll be amazing at that’, and asks me about how the job went afterwards. I think for the first time, I feel like I’m part of a really strong team.”
The influencer added: “I think everything happens for a reason, and I definitely met Jamie at the right time.”
“Before when I met someone, life was so chaotic. You’d be going out for dinners, drinks, and then both your schedules would be so busy that it was harder to see each other. Whereas when me and Jamie started seeing each other, we were doing things like sunrise swims and hikes. There was literally nothing else to do because everything was closed!”
“It meant that we got to know each other a lot quicker, and it was a really stripped back version of me because I wasn’t rushing off to events or heading on trips. It was a really nice chance to let someone in properly and just be myself.”
Speaking about how she first met Jamie, Holly said: “We have a lot of mutual friends, so we would’ve seen each other out and about. We also matched online years ago! My friend Rob was always saying to me, ‘You and Jamie would get along so well.’ But we never really bumped into each other properly.”
“And then when I saw him online, we matched and I respected that he was really quick to be like, ‘Right, are you around this weekend? Let’s just go for a drink.’ Because I don’t really like talking on the phone for too long, I don’t really see the point.”
“Then we went on our first date, and we just laughed the whole time. We got along so well, and because we knew similar people we had loads of stories and loads to talk about. We couldn’t believe how much we had in common.”
As for the secret to a happy relationship? Holly revealed: “I think it’s about being really honest about your feelings. Before Jamie, I would’ve always tried to act so laid back and would never say exactly what was on my mind. But from the get-go with Jamie, I would tell him exactly how I felt about things.”
“From the start, we were both just really really honest with each other and now even if I try pretend I’m ok and I’m not, he can see straight through it. I can’t lie to him!”
“We just have that respect for each other, and it’s a mutual thing. I think we both make an equal amount of sacrifices for each other, so it’s not like one person wears the trousers, we’re very much equal.”
“That really works out well because there’s not one person who feels like they’re standing on eggshells or anything. I never feel like, ‘Oh god how am I going to talk to Jamie about that?’”
She continued: “I also don’t have to keep up appearances with him. We still get dressed up and go on dates and stuff, but if I am not wearing makeup or feel rundown, it doesn’t change how we treat each other. I don’t feel like I have to be perfect around him. It’s nice.”
“For me growing up, my parents were always laughing and doing things together, and I always wanted that real friendship in a relationship. We genuinely still get excited to see each other.”
“It came out of nowhere. I think when you’re single, it’s easy to slip into a negative mindset and be like, ‘Oh Jesus I’m never going to meet someone.’ But sometimes, it does just come out of nowhere. So if you are someone in their late 20s or 30s and you’re panicking a bit, you never really know what’s around the corner.”
Read our full Spotlight On interview with Holly – where she opens up about her time on Britain & Ireland’s Next Top Model, her scary catfishing experience, dealing with online trolls, and more – here.
