Me And My Toyboy (C5) - FEW bat an eyelid if an older man takes up with a younger woman. There might be the odd "dirty old man" snigger behind his back but chances are his family won't cut him off, neighbours won't shun him and vandals won't smash his windows.
If it's the other way round, older woman and younger man, people do mind the gap as Diane and Paul showed.
At 61, she is 33 years older than partner Paul. When they met, he was 17 and she was a married woman with four grown-up sons. They've been together 11 years but paid a terrible price. His mother kicked him out of the house, they both lost their jobs and their home was attacked.
The pair insisted on being interviewed in London because they didn't feel comfortable talking to the cameras on home territory. That's Bridgwater in Somerset in case you're ever passing through and wish to give their uncharitable, bigoted neighbours a piece of your mind.
This fascinating documentary let couples speak for themselves. The general conclusion about women who had sampled a younger man was that older men get stuck in a rut whereas a more youthful partner makes a woman feel younger and keeps her younger. One woman declared she had shoes older than her companion. Another attributed the attraction to "energy and all that", leaving you in no doubt in which room the "energy and all that" was spent. Another confessed: "It's difficult to know whether to go out with him or adopt him".
The daughter of Pam, 61, fixed up her mother with her boss despite a 13-year age gap. They clicked on their first date but have yet to marry. The s-word was raised.
As they were filmed sitting on a bed, it was bound to happen. "I would say she's lovely, sex with her is great," said Jon, pausing before adding with a laugh: "Both times we've had it". Penny, 57, went round the world with a mountain guide - David, 34 - before they became serious about each other. As far as she's concerned the age gap is irrelevant in their nine-year relationship. She's also realistic that there may come a time when he wants children, which she can't give him. She's prepared for him to leave her because of that but has no regrets. "We've had fun and genuinely, unconditionally loved each other," she said.
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