Dani Dyer has opened up about her relationship with famous footballer fiancé Jarrod Bowen, from the early days of their romance and how the two lived right next door to one another. It seems despite living in such close proximity, it was a slow and steady beginning to their romantic relationship. The 28-year-old ex-Love Island star shared that while she thought there was chemistry, she never imagined a serious long-term relationship would come around with the England striker. Although Dani was no longer with her baby son Santiago’s father, Sammy Kimmence, when the two first met, she had not long given birth.
Dani’s partner Jarrod Bowen plays for West Ham United
(Image: Dave Shopland/REX/Shutterstock)
Dani opened up about the unusual beginnings of her relationship with Jarrod on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, explaining that from the day they started chatting, they “never stopped speaking”. She told Giovanna about her discovery that the footballer lived next door in their quaint neighbourhood after hearing rumours from fellow residents. Dani recalled: “I didn’t follow football at the time; I just wasn’t interested in football. And then he knocked on my door a couple of times because, like, my parcels went there. I remember the first time I opened the door – and I didn’t know this was Jarrod Bowen, right? And he was hot! Blue eyes, blonde hair – a bit of me.” She joked with the podcast host about her embarrassing attempts to catch him while she was dolled up before a photoshoot and the fleeting interactions they would go on to have as neighbours. It wasn’t until Jarrod dropped her a DM on her birthday that the pair started chatting and never really stopped.
The couple now share twins together, alongside Dani’s son Santiago
Admittedly, Dani had doubts about how serious their relationship was going to be, at the time being a new mum. She told Giovanna: “I thought, listen, he’s very fit. I don’t mind having a little bit of fun with you, but I’m a mum now. Like, you’re a footballer, you know, you can go have your Gigi Hadid’s like… I’m happy to have a bit of fun, if that’s what you want.” As the pair began dating, Dani shared that she had doubts and seemed to be confused as to why the Premier League Footballer would want to “take on a single mum”. For a while, her baby son was a bit of a “taboo” subject that they’d not yet broached, although Jarrod did know that Dani was a new mum. The ex-islander explained that when they finally had the conversation, the footballer said he was happy to meet Santi when she felt the time was right. This confused the reality star, confessing that she “didn’t believe it” and tried to put Jarrod off.
Dani opened up on the beginning of the couple’s relationship
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
“I don’t know why I kept doing that to him”, she told the podcast host. “In the end, I was getting to a point where my mum and dad were like, “Listen, Dani, you’re going to end up losing him. Stop it! “Like, ‘He wants to take you and Santi on. He’s more than happy to do that. So just appreciate that and be happy that he wants to’.” It was her parents’ advice that gave her the push to really make things work with Jarrod, and for that she feels “lucky”. Dani expressed her gratitude for her fiancé, acknowledging that she knows “that’s not everyone’s journey”, but it was hers. Dani and Jarrod went on to have twin daughters together, Summer and Star, in 2023. Now, the pair are engaged after a surprise Ibiza proposal from the footballer in July last year. Download Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast every Tuesday at 6am from acast.com
