An opportunity meeti

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

The Footballers Wives star and the sporting legend, who turned the oldest individual ever to win the Masters on Sunday, have been collectively for 12 years now – that’s in case you embody their eight month break up earlier than they ‘discovered a means again’ to one another. 

Their relationship blossomed in 2011 after Ronnie referred to as Laila as much as view his home that was lately put in the marketplace and was given a tour by his father Ronnie O’Sullvivan Sr.

‘It occurred accidentally,’ she beforehand mentioned. ‘I used to be proven round Ronnie’s home by his father, who instructed his son about assembly me. Ronnie referred to as the property agent, a good friend 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 dwelling?’ I’d by no means heard of him as a result of sport would not curiosity me in any respect, though Ronnie’s gained me over to snooker.’

It was then their whirlwind romance started they usually turned engaged within the following 12 months – however to at the present time the ‘laid-back couple’ are nonetheless not married.

Speaking of their lengthy engagement, Laila instructed the Mirror in 2019: ‘I’d have to essentially 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 no rush.’ 

Ronnie added: ‘It turns into a bit extra vital as you grow old 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 components?

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

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

Tragically the couple break up up after a decade along with Laila making the announcement to shocked followers.

‘After practically ten years of affection and reminiscences, 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 sporting her engagement ring as soon as once more. 

By May, after a month crammed 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 means 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 battle 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 best begin to life. When he was simply 16, his father was jailed for the homicide of infamous gangster Charlie Kray – actual identify Bruce Bryan – after stabbing him to dying in a Chelsea evening membership.

His mom additionally frolicked in jail for tax evasion.  

Ronnie, who was awarded an OBE for companies to snooker in 2016, went on to endure with bouts of melancholy alongside issues with medication 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 unfastened 6-4 to Neil Robertson at the Masters final 12 months. 

During the guts 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 blissful. I do not let you know to cease or to hold on. I’d by no means put you in a state of affairs like that. I’m OK with it.

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

Jumping in, Ronnie mentioned: ‘But I believe I’m far more comfy 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 comfy with it? It is as if I’ve overcome my demons in a means.’

Ronnie opened up about his personal psychological well being and mentioned he ‘by no means desires 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 need 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 impression 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 blissful. Phew, alright, I can simply play snooker now as a result of I need 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 spouse.  

In May he instructed the Daily Record: ‘Now it feels quite a bit higher – everybody’s simply in a greater place. I simply need to see her and her daughter blissful, and her household, who’re like my household, blissful.’