An Irish celebrity hairdresser has revealed she is getting 'horrendous' abuse about dating a man 17 years younger than her.
Brenda Shankey, 45, is dating 28-year-old model Emmette Dillon: "This is the spanner in the works," she laughed as Ryan Tubridy asked her about the relationship on RTÉ Radio 1.
"I have known Emmette for a long time, I have worked in hairdressing and with models for a long time. But Emmette's mum died and I teach mindfulness and we have become very close.
"A few weeks later he got in touch and said 'I think you are an amazing woman with a positive outlook, I would really like to date you'.
"I didn't know what to say."
Asked about any abuse she has suffered since the relationship has gone public she said, "It has been horrendous."
"The comments on Facebook have been horrendous.
"I just don't understand why people judge other people - I just don't get it.
"I would never judge someone else on their life. I don't understand why people are allowed to put their opinion of someone else's life online.
"My friends are very upset that people are slating me for being happy."
"I am 45, he is 28, he has an old soul. We have been together for awhile before we committed. I don't care about the comments but I have a moral issue that I don't judge other people."
Brenda from Derry, who has two kids, separated from her husband Jason 8 months ago.
The couple who have been together for 18 years and married for 14, and have a son and daughter, run four salons in Belfast.
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Brenda, who is also a mindfulness coach, is able to laughed off being compared to Courteney Cox and being called a cougar.
"I am such a young spirit, I am such a young mum," she said.
"When I told my 15-year-old daughter she said I was one of those cougars.
"I hadn't dated at all since leaving their dad and Emmette just seemed the right the natural fit.
"With Emmette and I it is fun. He has a law degree, he is a nurse, he is a model.
"But none of that matters to me, his mum died she was the love of his life. He is such a beautiful person."
Speaking about her marriage split with Jason, Brenda is able to pick out the moment when things started to do downhill.
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She still helps run the Jason Shankey businesses in Belfast with her ex-husband.
"One day Jason asked me to help him out at work," she added.
"That day he became my boss and on that day the marriage ended because he saw me as an employee and not a wife.
"For a long time I saw that as a problem.
"As a business we are unbelievable, it works, so why it messes it up."
Brenda's sister Erin Wilkinson died just a week after her 32nd birthday and her death is still a very emotional topic.
"She was 32, it made major news in Northern Ireland because she was an alcoholic," she said.
"She was stunningly beautiful. I had a five year journey with her with her alcoholism and I want to help people with alcoholism.
"Everyone in life has a battle, but I think the alcoholic battle is so hidden.
