Ross Mathew on the end of his 10-year relationship and re-entering the world of dating as he approaches 40
"What scares me is that 30 or 40 years from now, I might look back and think, ‘You had it made and you fucked it all up'."
By Will Stroude
Words: Tim Heap
Ross Mathews has opened up about his recent break-up, revealing that he’s now relishing single life once again as he approaches 40.
The RuPaul’s Drag Race judge and host of the Virgin Atalntic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar, split with stylist Salvador Camarena last November after a decade together.
And in Attitude’s October issue, available to download and to order globally now, Mathews say that the pair’s decision to end their “beautiful” long-term relationship was a “risk”, but ultimately the “intimacy had run its course”.
“When you’re alone, you start thinking: ‘Should I have stayed?’ or ‘I could’ve just been safe there.’ But I’ve always been a risk taker,” the 39 year-old says.
Photography: Leigh Keily
“What scares me is that 30 or 40 years from now, I might look back and think, ‘You had it made and you fucked it all up.’ But I guess that’s the risk you take to find happiness.”
He continues: “It was a beautiful 10 years but it had a beginning, a middle and it had an end. We both kind of felt that if we didn’t wrap it up then, it would feel like a steak that had been on the grill for too long. It would just get tough.”
Ross is now getting to grips with app-based dating in 2019, something he hadn’t experienced before his relationship with Salvador began.
“I always said I would never get on the apps because I was so embarrassed, my face didn’t fit.
Photography: Leigh Keily
“Then when I found myself single and looked around, I thought, ‘How come I don’t get to live in the world that everybody else gets to live in?’ I just said fuck it and one day I made a profile, with my picture. And the world kept spinning. Nobody gave a shit.”
And in Ross’s humble opinion, he’s actually “pretty good” at dating, saying: “I’m meeting and dating people significantly more attractive and interesting than myself.
“I know it sounds stupid but I have never done this active dating thing and I’m shocked at the calibre of people I’ve been meeting. I think that has to do with confidence because let’s be frank here, I do not have a six-pack, unless it’s a six pack of wine coolers.”
Despite the upheaval his personal life has seen often the last year, Ross insists he’s “never been happier”, and is now open to new experiences and being challenged.
On the idea of monogamy, he says, “People should do whatever works for them. In a perfect scenario, of course, I picture a white picket fence and kids and happily ever after, holding hands in our death beds and passing away in the same moment.
“But I also understand how the world works, and the majority of couples I know are not monogamous. Real life gets in the way. I don’t know where I land on that, I’ll have to take it on a case-by-case basis.
“I mean, never say never but it’s not as if people are kicking down the door. I’m still a romantic, I still believe that it’s possible to find somebody special.”
Read Ross’s full interview in Attitude’s October issue, available to download and to order globally now.
Buy now and take advantage of our best-ever subscription offers: three issues for £3 in print, 13 issues for £19.99 to download to any device.
