Charlotte Dawson has spoken about the challenges in her relationship with fiancé Matt Sarsfield, acknowledging their "ups and downs" just days after the couple was observed in a tense exchange at the National Television Awards. Dawson marked Sarsfield's birthday with a public tribute that addressed the complexities of their eight-year relationship.
In a social media post accompanying photos from the awards ceremony, Dawson wrote, "Happy birthday to my sexeh man, my baby daddy, my partner in crime. 10 birthdays together… HOW?! We've had the wildest ride, with more ups and downs than I could ever count, but through it all, we've built our beautiful little family and shared some of the most incredible memories together." She added, "Life isn't always perfect, but most importantly… we have each other. And after everything, that's what matters."
The couple's strained interaction at the O2 Arena on Tuesday evening was captured on camera, showing Sarsfield walking away from Dawson after a heated discussion. Dawson was later seen appearing frustrated as she followed him. This incident occurred hours after they presented a united front on the red carpet.
Dawson, mother to Noah, Jude, and Gigi, has previously been open about the difficulties in her relationship. In an interview with Closer magazine, she cited the lack of private time due to their children's routines, particularly their eldest son Noah's co-sleeping habits, as a strain. "He only wants to go to bed when we do, so we don't have that time to talk and have tea together, and that's so important," she explained. Dawson expressed hope that routines would change once Noah started school, allowing them to "find us again."
The couple's relationship has faced public scrutiny before. In December, rumors of a split circulated following a significant argument. This followed Dawson's revelation that Sarsfield had been sending explicit messages to another woman. Addressing the infidelity on her podcast, Dawson stated, "I've seen the messages... they're not nice, it really hurt." Despite this, weeks later, the couple announced they were expecting their third child.
Dawson described their relationship as an "actual rollercoaster" but indicated that she felt better and that things were improving. She mentioned that Sarsfield was trying, and that they were taking things "each day as it comes."
She has been candid about sharing her personal life on her podcast, viewing it as a "safe space" to address issues that were already a topic of public conversation. "I had to address it obviously because everyone was talking about it," she said.
Sarsfield, a former rugby player for the Swinton Lions, appeared with Dawson on the dating show Celebs Go Dating four years prior to work through relationship issues. They briefly separated before reuniting, and Sarsfield proposed in September 2020, shortly before the birth of their first son, Noah. The engagement took place in Lancashire, in front of a statue of Dawson's late father, comedian Les Dawson.