An opportunity assembly led to Laila Rouass’s and Ronnie O’Sullivan’s romance

Ronnie ‘The Rocket’ O’Sullivan and his long-term fiancée Laila Rouass are most likely snooker’s impossible couple and if it hadn’t been for an opportunity assembly whereas the actress was home looking, they most likely would have by no means met. 

The Footballers Wives star and the sporting legend, who grew to become the oldest particular person ever to win the Masters on Sunday, have been collectively for 12 years now – that’s when you embody their eight month cut up earlier than they ‘discovered a approach again’ to one another. 

Their relationship blossomed in 2011 after Ronnie referred to as Laila as much as view his home that was not too long ago put available on the market and was given a tour by his father Ronnie O’Sullivan Sr.

‘It occurred by chance,’ she beforehand mentioned. ‘I used to be proven round Ronnie’s home by his father, who advised his son about assembly me. Ronnie referred to as the property agent, a pal of mine, and requested me out by way of her.

‘When he mentioned he was a snooker participant I mentioned, ‘yeah however what does he do for a residing?’ I’d by no means heard of him as a result of sport does not curiosity me in any respect, though Ronnie’s received me over to snooker.’

It was then their whirlwind romance started and so they grew to become engaged within the following yr – however to today the ‘laid-back couple’ are nonetheless not married.

Speaking of their lengthy engagement, Laila advised the Mirror in 2019: ‘I’d have to actually gear myself up for a marriage. At the second we have put it on the again burner and we’re having fun with our time so there is not any rush.’ 

Ronnie added: ‘It turns into a bit extra essential as you become older for authorized causes however for now we’re OK. If one thing’s not broke, why repair it? If it is working, why change a profitable formulation?

‘We’ve been engaged for some time now, so we all know we wish to be with one another, I’m certain we’ll get spherical to it. We’re very informal and laid-back about the entire thing anyway. When it occurs, it can occur. I like her, I like her firm, I like her.

‘She’s good for me in some ways and understands me and the enterprise and will get it and what I am going by.’

But the couple cut up up after a decade along with Laila making the announcement to shocked followers.

‘After almost ten years of affection and recollections, Ronnie & I’ve parted methods,’ she wrote on Instagram in February 2022. ‘Peace & like to you all. Laila X.’

The separation didn’t final lengthy, nevertheless, and by April Laila was noticed carrying her engagement ring as soon as once more. 

By May, after a month stuffed with rumours and hypothesis, the pair confirmed their reconciliation, earlier than jetting off on vacation.

Laila later confirmed: ‘Me and Ronnie are again collectively, we discovered our approach again. We simply labored it out – again once I introduced it, we hadn’t been collectively for nearly eight months at the moment.’ 

Since then, the couple have continued to struggle with their very own battles, with Ronnie overtly discussing his psychological well being in his Amazon Prime documentary Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge Of Everything.

The world champion didn’t have the simplest begin to life. When he was simply 16, his father was jailed for the homicide of infamous gangster Charlie Kray after stabbing him to demise in a Chelsea night time membership.

His mom additionally hung out in jail for tax evasion.  

Ronnie, who was awarded an OBE for providers to snooker in 2016, went on to undergo with bouts of despair alongside issues with medicine and alcohol.

During his documentary he opened up about how his most up-to-date psychological well being struggles had affected his recreation, seeing him lose 6-4 to Neil Robertson at the Masters final yr. 

During the center to coronary heart, Laila tried to make Ronnie see that the sport was affecting his psychological well being.

She mentioned: ‘I would like you to do what makes you to be completely satisfied. I do not inform you to cease or to hold on. I might by no means put you in a state of affairs like that. I’m OK with it.

‘I simply suppose it is about administration. There’s a lot self-criticism concerned and quite a lot of time by yourself to suppose.’

Jumping in, Ronnie mentioned: ‘But I believe I’m way more snug with it now than I’ve ever been.

‘If I did not cease earlier than, once I was actually uncomfortable, why would I cease now if I really feel extra snug with it? It is as if I’ve overcome my demons in a approach.’

Ronnie opened up about his personal psychological well being and mentioned he ‘by no means needs to go to the darkish locations’.

He mentioned: ‘People may see I used to be imploding I wasn’t superb at having all these things locked inside me. I by no means wish to go to these darkish locations.’

The snooker star went on to acknowledge how the discharge of his father from jail in 2010 had a constructive affect on him.

‘It did assist. It helped having him out, and figuring out he is alright,’ Ronnie added.

‘I’ve executed my time. He did his time. We did it collectively. Now he’s out. He’s completely satisfied. Phew, alright, I can simply play snooker now as a result of I wish to play. Just working stuff out for myself. This is definitely good for me.’

The world champion is now in a greater place, because of the continuing love and help from his fiancée.  

In May he advised the Daily Record: ‘Now it feels lots higher – everybody’s simply in a greater place. I simply wish to see her and her daughter completely satisfied, and her household, who’re like my household, completely satisfied.’