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Aussie celebrities who fell in love with non-famous folk

While we love a celebrity power couple, these relationships are so sweet in their own right.
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While we can’t get enough of a celebrity power couple like Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, there is something quite wholesome about a public figure falling in love with someone who flies a little more under the radar. 

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WATCH: Margot Robbie talks about working with her husband Tom Ackerley

From Margot Robbie to Dannii Minogue, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite Aussie celebrities who aren’t currently dating a fellow famous face.

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Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley. (Credit: Instagram)

Margot Robbie

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Hollywood superstar Margot Robbie first met British filmmaker Tom Ackerley in 2014 while working on Suite Française. The pair wed in 2016 and have been extremely private about their relationship.

In an interview with The Guardian in 2018, Margot confessed that their plans to keep their relationship under wraps soon failed.

“We kept it a secret. Because we weren’t really taking it seriously,” she said. “’Oh, whatever, we’re just mates, we’re just mates.’ And then… everyone found out.”

She went on to say that “sh*t hit the fan” when her friends discovered she and Tom had struck up a romance. “But then the dust settled, and it was all good,” the actress added.

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Rebecca Gibney and Richard Bell. (Credit: Instagram)

Rebecca Gibney

The New Zealand  born (but Australian residing) Packed To The Rafters star recently celebrated her 20-year wedding anniversary with her husband Richard Bell, whom she met in 1999 on set of the Aussie TV movie, Dogwoman.

“In walks this beautiful, tall New Zealander who happened to live on the same street as me when I was five,” Rebecca told Woman’s Day.

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“We met in 1999, got together in 2000 and married in 2001 and have been happy ever since.”

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Penny McNamee and Matt Tooker. (Credit: Supplied)

Penny McNamee

There’s nothing like a ‘high school sweetheart’ success story to put a smile on our faces. Home & Away alum Penny McNamee met her hubby Matt Tooker at a school musical camp in 1999, and they wed 10 years later.

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“I adored him off the bat. I was a ridiculous 16-year-old girl who totally thought he was dreamy,” Penny told New Idea.

“She was confident and bubbly,” her husband, who works in marketing, added.

The couple’s relationship experienced a hiatus as they both travelled, studied and lived their own lives, but they eventually found their way back to each other and are happier than ever.

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Manu Feildel and Clarissa Weerasena. (Credit: Instagram)
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Manu Feildel

French-Australian My Kitchen Rules sensation Manu Feildel met his now-wife, jewellery designer Clarissa Weerasena, at Sydney’ Ivy night-club in 2011. Clarissa revealed toThe Australian’s Women’s Weekly in 2016 that she had no idea who the famous chef was.

“He comes up to me and says, ‘Your friend says that you can cook better than me,’ and I said, ‘I probably can,'” recalled Clarissa. “I thought, ‘who the hell are you?'”

The pair ended up catching up for a drink three months later – and after being wooed by Clarissa’s talents in the kitchen, Manu was head over heels for the jewellery designer.

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“Clarissa ticked all the boxes – and that was the biggest box. I was like, thank God! She loves eating and she loves cooking – she’s perfect!” he told The Australian Women’s Weekly.

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Ray and Gilly Meagher. (Credit: Getty)

Ray Meagher

The longest serving cast member on Home & Away has revealed he owes his life to his wife of 11 years, Gilly.

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After undergoing a triple bypass in 2019, Ray received a second operation seven months later when he felt a “tickle” in his chest.

“It was just a build-up of bad living for 40 years and having too much fun,” he told Woman’s Day about the necessity of the surgeries, crediting his wife as a major factor in his recovery.  

“She was a life-saver. And she keeps me on the straight and narrow now.”

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Lynne McGranger and Paul McWaters. (Credit: Instagram)
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Lynne McGranger

Ray may be the longest serving male cast member on Home & Away, but Lynne comes in at a close second.

When she hasn’t been working, the actress has been in a long-term and loving relationship with her partner, Paul McWaters.

“I invited him round to my place in 1984 [after having dinner together] and he never went home. Still hasn’t,” Lynne quipped to New Idea during their first-ever joint interview.

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“Aside from being a wonderful man, if it wasn’t for him I’d never have been able to do what I’ve done on Home and Away,” Lynne also told Woman’s Day in 2019.

“He took over as a house husband and primary carer of Clancy,” she said, referring to their daughter.

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Prince Frederik and Princess Mary. (Credit: Getty)

Prince Frederik (OK so he’s not Aussie, but his wife is)

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When advertising guru Mary Donaldson dropped by a Sydney pub during the 2000 Olympics, she had no idea she’d meet Prince Frederik, fall in love, and end up marrying the Danish royal in 2004.

“I didn’t know he was the prince of Denmark,” Mary revealed in an interview about meeting the heir to the Danish throne. “Half an hour later someone came up to me and said, ‘Do you know who these people are?’”

But clearly the royal wasn’t at all perturbed by Mary’s lack of recognition, as he asked for her phone number.

“From the first moment we started talking, we never really stopped talking,” Mary said. “Everything between us in those early days was through words.”

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Frederik also fondly recalled the connection, deeming it “fun and happiness and, slowly but surely, love.”

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Olivia Newton-John and John Easterling. (Credit: Instagram)

Olivia Newton-John

Everyone may adore her on-screen chemistry with John Travolta in Grease, but in real life, Olivia’s romantic life looks a little different.

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The breast cancer survivor is  currently loved up with American businessman and environmentalist, John Easterling.

Olivia and John met at an environmental show back in the early 90s. The pair were then friends for 17 years before their feelings blossomed into something more.

As a plant medicine researcher, John grows herbal remedies for his wife in the couple’s Californian home. The Australian icon has since opened up about their strong relationship amid such a terrible ordeal.

“I love learning from John about the plants and what they do to help people,” Olivia told Good Housekeeping back in September last year.

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“I think our relationship has gotten stronger, even though I didn’t think it could get stronger.”

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Dannii Minogue and Adrian Newman. (Credit: Getty)

Dannii Minogue

Despite staying tight-lipped about her current relationship, it has been widely reported that Dannii has been dating music producer Adrian Newman since at least 2014.

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In 2018, The Sun reported that Dannii was staying “super private” about the relationship, but she felt as though she was in the “perfect” spot in life.

“I have a beautiful boyfriend. I never say anything about him. We are super private. I am just in the perfect moment.

“Everything is good, in love, family and health. Everything is ticking the box. It’s the most beautiful bubble. I don’t want it to end.”

That same year, Dannii reinforced this to Who magazine, telling the publication: “We don’t talk about our relationship. We just keep that super private. But yeah, I’m extremely happy.”

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