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How did Love Island's Iain Stirling and Laura Whitmore meet?

The pair met months before they began dating

laura iain
Nicky Morris
TV and film writer
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While Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling are known for being the face and voice of Love Island, they are also the show's ultimate couple.  Laura joined her now-husband on the ITV2 reality programme back in 2020 for its sixth series.

MORE: Love Island bosses make big change to the show following viewer complaints

But when did the stars first meet? Learn about their relationship timeline here…  

WATCH: Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling perform hilarious TikTok dance

How did Iain Stirling and Laura Whitmore meet? 

The couple are believed to have first met at the British Academy Children's Awards in 2016 but despite hitting it off instantly, the relationship didn't turn romantic until further down the line, according to The Sun.  

Chatting on JD Sport's In the Duffle podcast in March back in 2020, the Irish presenter revealed that Iain was "too scared" to ask her out on a date and after nine months of DM-ing each other, Laura finally made the first move. 

She said: "When we first met he didn't even hit on me, he was too nervous to hit on me! I think he was intimidated by me. I remember Iain was too scared to ask me out so in the end I had to ask him out.

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"He used to send me random messages, DM me and ask me about my dog. It took nine months but we got there! I was like 'let's just go for a drink'. I think I had to make the moves on him."

laura whitmore iain stirling kiss© Photo: Instagram

The pair were friends before they began dating

When the TV stars first began dating in 2017, Laura secretly flew out to the Love Island set in Majorca to visit Iain while he was recording voiceovers for the show. 

"I thought nobody knew, but it turned out afterwards that everyone did. At the time I was like: 'We totally got away with that!'" she told Fabulous magazine in 2018.

When did Laura and Iain become Instagram official?

After being together for four or five months, the pair decided to take their relationship to the next level and become Instagram official. 

View post on Instagram
 

The pair went Instagram official in 2017

Posting a snap of the pair looking loved up during a trip to New York, Laura wrote in the caption: "New York State of Mind." Iain shared a similar post alongside the words: "I <3 NY."

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A little more than a year after that, the pair bought a house in north London together in December 2018. 

When did Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling get married? 

The couple tied the knot in a private humanist ceremony in Dublin City Hall on 11 November 2020. The pair managed to keep the news of their marriage out of the press for a while and announced it themselves in January 2021. 

laura whitmore baby announcement© Photo: Instagram

Laura announced that the pair were expecting their first baby with an Instagram post

In December 2020, the pair revealed that they were expecting their first child together. Sharing a photo of a Guns & Roses baby grow, Laura announced that the pair were due to welcome a baby in early 2021. 

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"It's been hard to keep such happy news quiet," Laura penned. "Especially the times when I've had to run out of live radio to get sick in a bin or my penchant for a bowl of mashed potato in the morning."

laura whitmore baby easter© Photo: Instagram

Laura cradling her baby daughter

Their daughter arrived in late March in 2021. She is believed to have the name Stevie Ré. 

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