Finding love in the age of COVID-19 is not something many people can boast about.
But for Casey Donovan and her partner Renee Sharples, their love story began over a fateful weekend during Victoria’s lockdown last year.
“I found myself on [the online dating app] Bumble,” Casey, 33, tells Woman’s Day.
“I was nervous and excited to make a connection with Renee, and when we finally connected her banter was great and she seemed very lovely!”
Casey and Renee found each other on dating app Bumble one weekend during Victoria’s fierce lockdown last year.
(Credit: Are Media/Tina Smigielski)
While Renee, a lecturer in paramedicine, knew Casey’s face, she admits to not knowing much else about the entertainer.
“I recognised her photo but I didn’t expect to hear back from her,” the 37-year-old spills.
“I knew she was a singer, and knew about [Australian] Idol but I didn’t have any preconceived ideas about who she was – which made it easier, I think.”
The pair hit it off instantly, spending hours on the phone and setting up video dates on Zoom.
“When I logged into our first Zoom date and saw that Renee had set it up in a cafe, it was so sweet… [it was] even better when she asked me what kind of coffee I wanted,” Casey laughs.
“It was so nice to know that our sense of humour was the same. We couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces.”
While their initial dates went off without a hitch, Casey admits to feeling some reservations around dating again, particularly after her past experiences.
“It’s always nerve-racking because I do have a catfish background and I find it hard to trust people,” Casey reveals.
In 2004, the singer was catfished into a relationship with a man named Campbell, only to discover that he had been conjured up by her female friend Olga.
But despite her harrowing six-year ordeal, Casey wasn’t going to let that stop her from finding love.
Despite her harrowing six-year catfishing ordeal, Casey says she wasn’t going to let it stop her from finding love, saying her ability to pick herself back up again is “one thing that I kind of pat myself on the back for”
(Credit: Are Media/Tina Smigielski)“I feel like life has thrown me lots of curve balls and I’ve just kept going, and that’s one thing that I kind of pat myself on the back for,” she says.
The singer also tells that during her brief foray into online dating, she was the one who was accused of catfishing!
“I had a few people be like, ‘You’re not Casey Donovan.’ I would then giggle and say, ‘Well, it kind of is me,'” she says.
But despite the awkward confusion, Casey is thankful for online dating as she often found it hard making “genuine” connections with people in real life.
“If I’m at a bar and someone comes up to me, it’s usually a fan, and so I end up speaking to them in that way. I’ve always got this exterior shield up,” she says.
While they admit marriage and children are far off, the couple are say they’re “having the best time doing life together.”
(Credit: Are Media/Tina Smigielski)While dating one of Australia’s most famous faces may be daunting for some, Renee says she’s effortlessly slipped into Casey’s life.
“I got used to people throwing their phones at me saying, ‘Here, take a photo’ very quickly,” she laughs.
And while Renee’s family were a little starstruck by Casey when they first met her, “she just slots in now”.
“We even forget sometimes, like we’ll go out for coffee and someone will come up to me and I’ll be like, ‘Oh, that’s right,'” Casey laughs.
“But I love that I get to treat Renee and her family to my world sometimes.
“The same goes with her work – if she’s got stuff to do, I make sure I can help out any way I can.”
Renee adds, “We’re each other’s biggest fans.”
When the words marriage and children are raised, the couple laugh. “Look, there are no U-Hauls pulling up just yet,” says Casey.
“We’re just looking forward to hitting that one-year mark, and seeing where it goes.”
Adds Renee, “We didn’t really see this in our near future, it was very unexpected.
“But we’re having the best time doing life together and I could not be happier!”
Catch Casey live on her Bluesday Victorian tour from August 20! For tickets and details, visit caseydonovan.com
