Former Love Island star Dani Dyer has shared details about the beginnings of her relationship with Premier League footballer fiancé Jarrod Bowen in a rare interview. The couple, who are now parents to twin daughters, reflected on how their romance started.
Dani Dyer has opened up about her relationship with her footballer fiancé, Jarrod Bowen, recalling how their romance began despite being neighbours.
The 28-year-old Love Island star explained that while there was chemistry between them, she never expected it to turn into a serious, long-term relationship.
At the time, Dani had recently given birth to her son Santiago and was no longer with his father, Sammy Kimmence. Their relationship developed slowly, despite their close proximity.
Dani shared the unique start of her relationship with Jarrod on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast. She revealed that from the moment they began talking, they “never stopped speaking.” Dani also recalled how she found out the footballer lived next door in their charming neighbourhood after hearing rumors from local residents.
Dani remembered, “I wasn’t into football at the time, so I had no idea who he was. He knocked on my door a couple of times because my parcels had been delivered to his place. I’ll never forget the first time I opened the door – I didn’t realize it was Jarrod Bowen at the time. And he was gorgeous! Blue eyes, blonde hair – totally my type.”
Dani laughed as she told the podcast host about her awkward attempts to catch Jarrod’s attention while she was all dressed up for a photoshoot, recalling their brief encounters as neighbours. It wasn’t until Jarrod sent her a direct message on her birthday that they started chatting—and from that point, they never stopped.
Dani admitted that she had doubts about how serious their relationship would be, especially as 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 Dani and Jarrod started dating, she confessed to having doubts and was puzzled as to why the Premier League footballer would want to “take on a single mum.” For a while, her baby son was a sensitive topic that they hadn’t discussed, although Jarrod knew she was a new mum. Dani shared that when they finally talked about it, Jarrod said he was happy to meet Santi whenever she felt the time was right. This left Dani confused, admitting she “didn’t believe it” and even tried to push Jarrod away.
“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.