Jill Halfpenny has been pictured with her new partner Ian McAllister for the first time.
Ian, 48, met Jill last year, in what she calls a “random and unexpected meeting”.
Jill lost her partner Matt Janes back in 2017 after he suffered a heart attack at the gym.
And she’s said that Ian too has suffered loss in his life, after losing his eight-year-old nephew back in 2013, and it’s an experience that has helped to bond them.
‘Early stages’ of a new romance
In excerpts from her new autobiography shared with the Mail, Jill said meeting Ian has had a transformative effect on her life.
“For the first time since Matt died I have met someone and fallen in love. We met 11 days after I was offered this book deal and it was a random and unexpected meeting. His name is Ian and he is kind and funny and intelligent. The relationship has helped me understand the importance of all the work I have done before I met him. I can allow myself to be happy and in love without feeling any guilt,” she writes.
Jill added: “I can be vulnerable and scared and understand where it’s coming from. I can be free and open, allowing myself to be seen without fear of abandonment. We are in the very early stages of our relationship and even though I know the story will write itself, I sincerely hope it will be a long and exciting one.”
Who is the new partner of actress Jill Halfpenny?
So what do we know about Ian? Well, he’s 48, just like the former Strictly Come Dancing champion, and is reportedly a father of two. He’s a keen runner, too, and ran 400 miles back in 2016 to raise funds for the Newcastle Healthcare Child Bereavement Unit after the loss of his nephew.
Jill has told how Ian was able to “share his losses” with her as they became closer.
Ian works at the Duchess of Northumberland’s gorgeous Alnwick Garden as the head of marketing. It’s one of the north’s most popular tourist attractions.
And, in pictures shared with the paper of the couple, Jill looks happy and content as she cuddles up to her new partner.
‘It makes me have even more admiration for him’
In the book, the actress also revealed that Ian has been interested in learning about Matt “from the very beginning”. Jill has also spoken to him about the sudden death of her dad when she was aged four.
“One of the things I was most scared of in a new relationship was him not being able to handle me talking about Matt. I needn’t have worried. Ian has asked about Matt from the very beginning. About our time together, what he was like, what we did together. I have never once felt as though he sees him as a threat and it makes me have even more admiration for him. We talk freely about my dad too and Ian shared his losses with me. We have both reached an age where loss is inevitable in our lives and to share them is a great gift,” she concluded.
Read more: Jill Halfpenny shares ‘disturbing’ conversation with partner Matt Janes before his death
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