Smiling adoringly at each other as they cosy up in front of the twinkling tree for their first Christmas together, it’s hard to fathom that a little over a year ago, Molly Rainford and Tyler West were strangers. Their love story is far from conventional, but it’s certainly one of the most romantic. Because when actress and singer Molly and radio DJ Tyler signed up for Strictly Come Dancing last year, they each would have been dreaming of coming away with the Glitterball trophy – but instead they found love together.
And now, exclusively joining HELLO! for their first photoshoot and interview as a couple, Molly, 23, and Tyler, 27, reveal how they are starting 2024 by taking a huge step forward in their relationship.
“We’ve just bought our first home together,” Tyler tells us. “It’s mad to say that but when you know you know… it’s the right time.”
“We never saw this coming but everyone who meets us says it’s as though we’ve been together forever – and that’s exactly how it feels,” adds EastEnders star Molly.
Moving into their East London flat in the new year will be the perfect way to mark their first anniversary; Molly and Tyler had their first date just before embarking on the Strictly Live Tour last January.
Opening up for the first time about their fairytale romance, Tyler tells us: “I had no idea where I needed to be, then there was Molly right in front of me.”
“We found we had so much in common – silly little things like both loving Marvel,” continues Molly, who found fame playing intergalactic popstar Nova Jones on CBBC and was named as one of HELLO!’s Rising Stars for 2022 – just months before her star rose even further on Strictly.
It wasn’t until they started rehearsals ahead of the Strictly Live tour together in early January 2023 that things moved to the next level. “I took the plunge and asked Molly on a date,” remembers Tyler. “We snuck out the back of the hotel [in north London] and went to a chicken spot. We had rum punch and spoke for hours.”
They kept their blossoming relationship under wraps for the first week of the tour, although Molly confided in her Strictly pal Fleur East and Tyler told pro dancer Kai Widdrington, whose response was: ‘We knew!’. “For a week we were sneaking around, but the whole group knew we liked each other anyway, so we thought: ‘What are we doing?’” laughs Molly.
“The minute I’d leave Molly, I'd miss her,” says Tyler, who pinpoints the Newcastle date in early February as the moment they knew it was love. “When you both feel it, you just know,” agrees Molly.