How They Met: Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian split for five years before tying the knot

Ten years of marriage and two children later, Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian have certainly come a long way since the day they first met!

It was all the way back in 2002 that the duo first laid eyes on each other and although much has happened since, including the arrival of their beautiful daughters Blake and Blu, the pair still remain head over heels for one another.

With Brian and Arthur now enjoying the adventure of parenthood, we've taken a look back at their love story so far...

First meeting

Although they first met over two decades ago, the pair didn't marry until 2015. This was due in part to the fact that the lovebirds split before finally realising that they were meant to be together.

It wasn't all plain sailing at the beginning of their romance as Arthur, who hails from Armenia, didn't speak English and had no idea who his famous husband was until he bumped into him in a TV studio.

Choreographer Arthur previously opened up to Ryan Tubridy on his RTÉ Radio 1 show, telling him the backstory to the love story between himself and Brian. He explained: 'It was 2002, the 27th December, he keeps saying it was the 28th. It was in a club, I just broke up with a guy and I was dancing on my own and I said "I'm going to dance then I'm going to go home".'

'I started dancing and I see this guy coming to me in a kind of arrogant way, thinking I knew who he was, but I didn't know so he started talking to me. At the time I couldn't speak English so I said "Bonjour, ca va", and he was like "oh no", and his friends pushed him and said "see how it goes".'

Arthur says that the two started dating but Arthur really didn't know who he was, with Brian telling the dancer he was in PR. 'I said to him I'm a dancer and he was like "of course, every gay guy is a dancer these days' and I said "I am, seriously, I'm doing a Zoe Birkett TV show next week", and he didn't believe me.'

Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian at the premiere screening of The Suicide Squad. Pic: Brian McEvoy

'So for a week, we were seeing each other, and I'm there doing the show with Zoe Birkett and we were in a canteen and I was telling them I was seeing a guy named Brian who was cute and works in PR. And I will never forget, Brian Dowling and Tess Daly walk past and I was like "Oh my god that's the guy", and the girls said "Brian Dowling?!", but I didn't know his second name.'

But Brian played hard to get as Arthur recalled that the presenter ignored him much to his disbelief. 'I couldn't believe it. I was going live and I could see Tess and him in the back of the room gossiping watching me, so that's how we met, and we fell in love.'

Time apart

Brian and Arthur didn't settle down right away as they dated on and off for four and a half years. Arthur says this was down to them being so young, with so much happening in both of their lives. This eventually led to a long-term split.

'I just arrived in the UK. I wanted to make my own mark and then we split up for five years, a lot of people don't know that,' he said. Arthur added: 'At the time I remember he was so famous, he was loving life. We got back together in 2011 and it was the best thing we ever did.'

Engagement and wedding

When they were finally reunited it seems Brian had his mind made up that Arthur was the one and told the dancer that he had to ask him to marry him. As to why Arthur had to do the asking? Arthur jokingly says 'that is what happens with a princess'.

Sure enough, a smitten Arthur popped the question in 2014 and the pair married in 2015 in Powerscourt, Co Wicklow surrounded by their celebrity friends including Louis Walsh, Vernon Kay, Tess Daly, Brian Ormond and his wife Pippa O’Connor, Alan Hughes and his husband Karl Broderick.

Their family

Brian and Arthur had long discussed their hopes of starting a family together and their dream came true in 2022.

Arthur in the past expressed his desire to become a dad alongside Brian as he told the Irish Mail On Sunday: 'Having kids has always been my goal. I want to leave a legacy behind us.'

Little Blake Maria Rose Dowling Gourounlian was born at the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin on Thursday, September 1.

They then became a family of four on June 23, 2024 when they welcomed their second child, a daughter named Blu Amar Rose. Brian's sister Aoife once again acted as the couple's surrogate.

Brian previously told the RTÉ Guide: 'We're in such a lucky position where Aoife is willing to do this. She's a young healthy woman, she's my sister, she lives in the country, and we were able to get a donor again. We're just very, very lucky. It's priceless to us, we're really pinching ourselves.'

Celebrating their anniversary

2025 marked ten years since Brian and Arthur tied the knot, and Brian shared a lovely tribute to his other half to mark the milestone. The former Big Brother star wrote: '10 years ago to this very day 30 / 07 / 15. We called it OFFICIAL in front of all our loved ones.

'We literally had no idea what was ahead of us in the years to come or what was expected from each other as Husbands. Well, let’s just say it’s been ONE HELL OF A RIDE.

'Married life is not a walk in the park, it’s FULL ON and can be a bit of a shit show at times, but you’ve got to work at it, people.'

'We have ALWAYS LOVED each other, but I’m sure there may have been times when we both didn’t like each other, and listen, that’s expected,' Brian continued. 'Let’s just say the spare room has been occupied a couple of nights over the last 10 years, and that’s ok.'

'When I’m with Arthur, I feel loved, I feel seen, heard, and, more importantly, I feel safe. I’m not sure I believe in love at first sight, but no one has ever come close to you, Arthur, even during our five-year time out.

'That night out back in December 2002 was life-changing for both of us. Over the last 10 years, we have laughed, loved, and cried tears of joy and sadness. We have been blessed in so many ways but NOTHING comes close to the LOVES OF OUR LIVES that are Blake and Blu, their arrival into our world was UTTERLY LIFE CHANGING, they are OUR ABSOLUTE EVERYTHING. How lucky are we that we get to be their parents.'

'The traditional marriage anniversary gift for a decade is tin or aluminium. And there I thought I would get more diamonds,' he joked.

'The tin anniversary theme reflects a strong relationship that can weather any storm. That part is most certainly true. We have come through it all TOGETHER.

'So today I’m going to CELEBRATE US and our little family. I love you, Mr Gourounlian.'