Age gaps in relationships can provoke strong reactions – admiration, suspicion, even outrage. For some, they’re proof that love can transcend life stages and social expectations; for others, they raise questions about power, compatibility and long-term stability. So, do age gaps in relationships matter? James Smith, Julie Burchill and Monika Morgan offer their perspectives.

Age gaps in relationships can provoke strong reactions – admiration, suspicion, even outrage. For some, they’re proof that love can transcend life stages and social expectations; for others, they raise questions about power, compatibility and long-term stability.

So, do age gaps in relationships matter? James Smith, Julie Burchill and Monika Morgan offer their perspectives.

When I took up with a man far younger than me towards the end of the 20th century (I was 35 and twice-divorced; he was 23 and rather innocent), I never foresaw the ageing process being a problem. Daniel was so reliable and I was so flighty that my (also generally far younger) friends called him “Dad”; he had fragile health (“I’m a slave to my guts, Julie!”) while I was obscenely........

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