Christopher Quinten’s fiancée says her family found their 40-year age gap "really difficult" at first.
The former ‘Coronation Street’ actor – who played Gail Platt’s (Helen Worth) mechanic husband Brian Tilsley in the 1980s – recently popped the question to his stripper significant other Robyn Delabarre, and she admits her family are now "so supportive" of their romance.
The 21-year-old dancer said: "[My family] found it really difficult at first. The big age gap, it’s a big thing.
"My mum is 38 and my dad is 40. Now they’re so supportive of me.
"Chris is much older but we had such a nice connection we just got on well, we spoke a lot."
Christopher, 61, added: "I’ve spoken to the mum and they all love me, thankfully. We haven’t spoken to her dad yet, but he’s OK."
The happy couple had an "instant connection", but with Chris working as a manager of gentleman’s club Secrets Hammersmith and Robyn working there as a stripper, she had to keep their seven-month romance a secret from her pals, and even family, at first.
She said: "I had to keep it a secret, it was really hard for me. I had to lie to other dancers, my family.
"They [the dancers] are fine about it now, but I think they were a bit disappointed I didn’t tell them."
She has since been moved on to work at another Secrets establishment after news of their relationship became public knowledge.
Speaking in a joint interview on ‘This Morning’, Chris added: "We don’t work in the same club now though, because when they found out they moved her from Secrets Hammersmith to the other three clubs they have."