Lois Gaskin-Barber: who is Eurovision singer Sam Ryder’s partner, job, how old is she - is she his wife?

Sam Ryder shot to fame in 2022, representing the UK as he sang to a triumphant second place at the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, Italy.

Those with their eyes to TikTok may have been aware of the charismatic singer much sooner, as Ryder started gaining traction on the social media platform as he covered famous pop songs through the UK’s first Covid-19 lockdowns.

As the Song Contest heads to the UK later in the year (hosting in place of winners Ukraine, a country still battling Russia’s aggressive invasion), Ryder will once again be back on our televisions much more.

But one question fans seem to have about him is - does he have a girlfriend? The answer is ‘yes’, and Ryder has been dating long-term girlfriend Lois Gaskin-Barber for a number of years.

But who exactly is she, are the pair married, and what does she do when she’s not singing her partner’s praises on social media? Here is everything you need to know about her.

Who is Lois Gaskin-Barber?

There doesn’t seem to be much public information on the pair’s long-term relationship but we did manage to find a few facts online.

According to MyNewsGh.com (a Ghanaian news website), the couple began dating in 2016, though a post from Lois herself says they have experienced birthdays together “from our teens to our 30s.”

According to another post she made on Instagram, the couple appeared to have started dating on 4 October 2011: "Today, nine years ago, I finally gave in and said, ‘Yes, let’s see how this goes,’" she said, “when we were just two foolish youngsters. The best thought ever."

They then began operating the Lone Wolves Organic juice bar in Coggeshall, Essex, in 2017, before closing it two years later.

“They were a couple of hippies,” Lucy Long, who now manages the cafe that took its place, told The Sun in 2022. “With Sam you always felt as if you were among friends. He is horizontal, that man, he is so chilled.”

Lois appears to be continuing the Lone Wolves brand, and currently offers for sale her handmade jewellery on Instagram as Lone Wolves Creative, where she describes herself as a “multi-dimensional creative”.

Are they married?

We’ve had a hard time finding any reliable source that can answer the question as to whether the couple are married accurately.

Some outlets say the pair are yet to be engaged, and have no children together, while others describe Lois as Ryder’s “soon to be wife” (though this site does also describe their relationship as “severe”...).

Previous social media posts appearing to show the couple in white wedding gowns and attire were confirmed to have not been from their own wedding by Lois, who cleared up any confusion.