Does AGE REALLY MATTER?

Apparently, both men and women prefer younger partners. Woman investigates...

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Hardly groundbreaking, is it - the news that men like dating younger women? After all, as women, we're no strangers to sexist phrases like 'on the shelf' and 'a woman of a certain age'. But new research has shown it isn't just men who prefer their partners to be younger. We women are also more inclined to go for someone more youthful as we get older - and why not?

While men might be attracted to younger women for reasons like fertility, there's always been that assumption that it's reciprocal - that we prefer a more mature man, maybe for security and stability. But, actually, it seems the older we get, the more we want someone who will keep us feeling youthful and energetic.

And if men are allowed to fancy women whose bodies haven't quite drooped south yet, why can't we women say we'd prefer a rippling six-pack over a paunch?

When it comes to society, it seems we're far more accepting of men dating younger than the other way round. But why on earth are we still living with these double standards in 2025? In the recently released film Babygirl, we see Nicole Kidman play a CEO who has an affair with a much younger intern. It may not end well, but it definitely brings the conversation to the fore.

The woman delves deeper, speaking to two women about what it's like to be an older or younger woman.

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Julie Roberts, 69, lives in Dagenham, Essex, with her husband Mike, 52.