Couple who both have Down’s syndrome share their dreams for the future including moving in together and getting married in an ‘uplifting’ This Morning interview after being separated over lockdown
- Olivia, 27, and Nino, 21, Bristol, warmed hearts after appearing on This Morning
- The pair met at in 2015 after their mothers Sharron and Lynne became friends
- After developing a friendship, Nino asked out Olivia at a Valentine’s Day disco
- Couple were separated over lockdown and are now surer than ever about future
A couple who both have Down’s syndrome shared their dreams for the future after being separated for five months over lockdown.
Olivia Watkins, 27, and Nino Genua, 21, from Bristol, took part in the ‘uplifting’ This Morning to mark Down Syndrome Awareness Month and warmed viewers’ hearts when they revealed how happy they both are in their relationship.
The pair, who met in 2015 when their mothers became friends, were unable to see each other during the height of the pandemic but have now reconnected and have their sights set on moving in together and a wedding one day.
Viewers quickly took to twitter to share their excitement for the ‘adorable’ couple and called their story ‘very uplifting’.
Olivia Watkins, 27, and Nino Genua, 21, from Bristol,who both have Down’s Syndrome told they can ‘see their future together’ after being separated for five months over lockdown
The pair warmed the hearts of This Morning viewers during an appearing on the show to mark Down Syndrome Awareness Month
Olivia said: ‘I hadn’t seen him over lockdown since it started, but since now we’ve seen each other, I feel I can see our future.’
She told that seeing each other after months apart made her feel ‘very happy’, while Nino insisted he was ‘excited’ to see his girlfriend again after all that time.
Olivia went on: ‘Our future is to get married and live together, we haven’t planned anything but we have some ideas in place. The ideas are looking at the love heart theme.’
Viewers quickly took to Twitter to praise the couple, with one writing: ‘Olivia and Nino are making my heart happy’.
Viewers quickly took to twitter to hail the couple ‘adorable’ and called their story ‘very uplifting’
Another said: ‘Adorable couple. A nice positive story.’
A third agreed: ‘So lovely to see Olivia and Nino this morning a lovely couple Red heart @hollywills @Schofe very uplifting story.’
Nino admitted he had ‘butterflies’ after meeting Olivia at a sports event in 2015, while his mother said he ‘never looked back’ after asking her out during a disco at their local youth club.
His mum Sharron explained: ‘They’d met several years ago at a sports event, they met then and then Lynne and I started working together.
‘They were building a friendship and from that they started to go to the same youth club and Nino asked Olivia out at a disco and we’ve never looked back.’
Nino admitted he had ‘butterflies’ after meeting Olivia at a sports event in 2015, while his mother said he ‘never looked back’ after asking her out during a disco at their local youth club
Sharron went on to say that her son’s confidence had sky-rocketed since meeting Olivia, and that he takes more care of his appearance since meeting her, often trying to impress her by smelling good.
‘She gives him confidence to speak a lot more’, said Sharron, ‘Confidence, changing his self-image and how he smells with his favourite aftershaves, he always wants to look good and smell good for Olivia’.
Revealing his top aftershave picks, Nino said: ‘I like Tommy Hilfiger, and I like [Dior] Sauvage’.
Lynne agreed that Olivia’s confidence had also improved, and called watching her daughter’s relationship blossom ‘a joy’.
The pair met when mum’s Sharron (left) and Lynne (right) because friends and Sharron told her son’s confidence had sky-rocketed since meeting Olivia
She told: ”It [her confidence] has gone through the roof and it’s lovely seeing her show her affection to Nino, they have plans for the future and it’s a joy to see them because it’s a true love match really it’s lovely.’
The mother-of-four went on: ‘It’s not always a bed of roses, but the joy and the happiness you get back is enormous.
‘I wouldn’t have changed a thing about having Olivia in my life, I think my other three children are much more compassionate caring people now and so we as a family would never change a thing.’