Rosie Jones shares joy of secret relationship after ‘not feeling worthy of love’

Comedian Rosie Jones has melted hearts by confirming her new romance ahead of the Christmas season.

The much-loved TV star revealed her relationship with a sweet snap, showing her hugging her girlfriend while on set.

In her earnest caption, Rosie, who has ataxic cerebral palsy, admitted she previously never felt ‘worthy of love’, wanting to reflect the lack of disability representation in her tour shows.

‘The DAY I told my wonderful director Joe my idea, I met somebody and well, long story short, our Doc Martens touched and now I’m in a relationship with the most wonderful woman who is kind, clever, FUNNY and beautiful,’ Rosie shared sweetly.

‘I’m incredibly happy.’

In true comedic style, after making repeated gags about her single life to fans at her shows, the panel show favourite added: ‘Please forgive me for pretending to be single for the majority of the year, simply because I was too stubborn to change the tour show.’

Rosie went on to suggest that her 165k followers might not see much of her girlfriend for the time being, having also concealed her face in the snap she shared.

‘Social media is a tricky beast at the best of times so for now I am simply sharing the side of her (I can reveal that she DOES have a face…and it is nice)’, she penned.

‘I just wanted to share something that I desperately needed to see when I was younger: a positive example of a disabled woman in a happy, healthy, romantic, wonderfully queer relationship ❤️’

The comments section quickly lit up with congratulatory messages for Rosie, with Charlie Craggs writing: ‘SHES SO LOVELY (like you) I’m so so so happy for you.’

‘Love this and love you Rosie xxx’, said Annie Mac, with Lost Voice Guy echoing: ‘Love this ❤️’

@juliecanavanprice further praised: ‘Exactly the kind of post I want to see on my feed. Delighted for you both. Love is great. You are great. You deserve it ❤️’

‘Congratulations Rosie xx I’m so glad you now know how deserving of love you are xx’, added @msdaniwalker.

Rosie has spoken openly for years about being a lesbian, but she didn’t actually come out until she was 27.

Writing for The i Paper in September this year, she said, growing up, she ‘never saw an accurate representation of a disabled person in a loving, happy, healthy relationship’.

‘If you never see it, how could you ever possibly believe it could ever happen to you?’, Rosie pondered.

She went on to brand dating apps ‘judgmental and superficial at the best of times’, but said these experiences are only intensified ‘if you are a disabled person trying to date on there’.

‘As soon as I put my disability in my bio, I would receive ZERO matches – but then if I removed it, I felt like I was lying or catfishing them; somehow ashamed of telling them that I was disabled. I couldn’t win,’ she admitted.

Rosie has also been public about the bullying she has experienced as a disabled woman. In 2023, she shared that she was mugged five times in two years while out walking alone.

What’s more, she has been rejected by taxi drivers repeatedly when they wrongly assume she is drunk and receives some form of online trolling each time she’s on TV.

Rosie has credited therapy for helping her accept and embrace her sexuality, as well as understand that the abuse she faces is not her responsibility.

‘If you have the money and opportunity to access therapy, please do it. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done,’ she wrote this year.

‘It finally got me to a place where that ableist thought quietened – and I stopped believing it to be true.’

Rosie also hopes that being in the spotlight will help her to inspire other disabled folk, having felt particularly during the pandemic that they were viewed as ‘second-class citizens’.

‘I would love in the next few years to see more disabled comedians, directors, producers, [and] commissioners,’ she told The Guardian. ‘I hope disabled people can see me on TV and think, “If she can do it, I can do it”.’

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE: I’m single, gay – and about to spend my first Christmas with my son

MORE: I’m abrosexual – here’s what that means

MORE: This is the most exciting new Christmas film you can still see in cinemas