Copyright metro
Lorna Andrews, aka Lorna Luxe, with husband John (Picture: Lorna Luxe) ‘When you’re in your 20s, someone in their 40s seems ancient. I just remember thinking, god he’s so old.’ When Lorna Andrews first met her soon-to-be husband John in a bar in Brighton, she never expected to fall in love with a man who was 21 years older than her. But having just come out of a relationship that made her feel quite ‘low,’ Lorna quickly realised how ‘nurturing’ and ‘stimulating’ an older man can be. And as for for John, it was love at first sight. The couple, now 43 and 64, regularly document their life together online, where fashion and lifestyle influencer Lorna has amassed 1.6 million followers under her persona, Lorna Luxe. ‘He’s probably the first guy I’d ever been with that I’d been in awe of, because he had a life, he had stuff going on, he had stuff to talk about,’ Lorna told Metro’s Just Between Us podcast. ‘And I really liked that from the get go, I liked the fact that he taught me stuff and had more to bring to the table.’ Lorna and John have now been married for 16 years (Picture: Lorna Luxe) Once they got together, Lorna never questioned whether or not they should be wary about their age gap. In reality, it was more John who had worries: ‘I think that he was more concerned that I might get rubbish thrown at me from my friends or my family. So I think he was worried on my behalf,’ said Lorna, a former cabin crew member originally from Greater Manchester. ‘But I never remember him questioning the relationship. He was always full steam ahead.’ Now, after 16 years of marriage, society judging their age gap is the last thing Lorna worries about. Instead, she worries about John’s cancer. https://www.instagram.com/p/DO6Z_jxDHxH/ It all began in April 2023 when John, a former banker, was first diagnosed with stage three cancer and underwent chemotherapy. After going into remission, Lorna revealed in May 2024 that the cancer had spread to John’s brain, as well as coming back in his adrenal gland. It was then classed as stage 4. ‘When you fall in love with someone older, your brain doesn’t immediately jump to worrying about them getting sick… Where’s the romance in that?’ Lorna asked. ‘But it can sometimes be part of the deal.’ However, following more treatment, Lorna updated her followers with the incredible news that John’s health had improved, and his oncologist had cleared him for surgery to remove the tumor on his adrenal gland. ‘It’s just absolutely brilliant at the minute,’ Lorna told host Diana Vickers. https://www.instagram.com/p/DLJ831riFmz/ ‘We haven’t had the scan results back from his latest treatment, but I think we will do next month. But just seeing how well he looks and just how he is in himself. ‘I mean, the difference, even in a couple of months, it just shows, doesn’t it, that, you know, stage four cancer is not necessarily an immediate death sentence.’ Just a few days after recording, John was taken ill with an excruciating migraine and rushed to hospital, where doctors discovered another tumour on his brain. Though there isn’t a definitive plan in place yet, Lorna confirmed he is stable and in good spirits. The key to maintaining a strong relationship through so much? Putting in the effort. ‘We did a bit of a cheeky Paris number, and I filmed a Reel where I basically said, ‘you’ve got to keep dating. You’ve got to keep putting the effort in,’ Lorna explained. They’ve also never shied away from tackling life’s big questions, either between themselves or with their followers. Though they’d previously agreed not to have children, speaking extrensively about it online, Lorna admitted she’s recently felt more ‘curious’ about motherhood. ‘I think when you’re with someone a long time, you become a bit like them. So, the age gap doesn’t feel as obvious. We talk the same language. We have the same opinions. Even our political opinions, it’s grown and developed together,’ she said. ‘When we met, I was 26 – 26-year-old Lorna wasn’t really fussed about a lot of things that 43-year-old Lorna is, right? ‘For example, we don’t have kids. Maybe I want to have kids now. ‘I am definitely questioning my decisions over the last 15 years because I’ve always put everything off.’
