“Now James Has Two Mothers”: Hazelle Teo & Fiancé React To Nasty Online Comments About Their Age Gap

What’s it like being in a relationship where the woman is older? That’s what YES 933 DJ Hazelle Teo and fiancé James Wong discussed in the latest episode of their podcast, Couple’s Classroom.

The couple have a six-year age gap — James is 26, while Hazelle turns 32 in April.

Diving right into the topic, James recalls: “When we first published the news of our engagement, there were a lot of people talking about our age gap. Most guys are older than their partners, [so] I think it’s fair that people talk about it. But because we worked out so well, I want to tell people that this society norm can be broken.”

For Hazelle, James is the first guy she’s dated who is younger than her. She admits she was initially surprised at how well things worked out, also noting that society often teaches that women are more emotionally mature than men and that it’s preferable for them to date older.

“But in all honesty, I feel like age is just a number,” she declares.

James was 24 when he and Hazelle started dating, but Hazelle finds that “he’s always been a mature person,” even before they met.

Their goals have always been aligned, and even on their first date, they connected over discussions about the future, from property investments to work experiences. By then, James was already earning a stable income, which Hazelle admits made it easier for her to date someone younger.

James did change one thing about himself though. He reveals he started dressing “a little bit older” when they first got together, to which Hazelle responded: “That’s what I tell him not to do. I tell him, ‘James, I signed up for a 24-year-old man, stop dressing older than you look.’”

James explains: “I used to dress in T-shirts and shorts because it’s so hot in Singapore, and I always carried a backpack. Sometimes she would have a [work] shoot, all dressed up and in full makeup, and when we walk to the car, I look like a little kid. I look like her PA or her younger brother.”

He then started dressing more maturely, swapping T-shirts for collared shirts and his backpack for a tote bag. “I feel like it makes us complement each other better,” he says, “but it also boosts my confidence, and people take me more seriously.”

Ultimately, the pair agree that age is but a number for them, as long as they share the same future goals and continue growing together.

That said, James and Hazelle also faced some cutting remarks online about their age gap after announcing their engagement.

Though they received many well-wishes, Hazelle also remembers seeing many nasty comments, not on their own social media posts, but on articles written about them.

She recalls: “There were so many people saying ‘Oh is it because Hazelle is pregnant?’, or ‘This wouldn’t work out because the girl is six years older than the guy. She’s only after the tender fresh meat’.”

One comment, in particular, stuck with James.

“There was one comment that said ‘Now James has two mothers’. The [person] is trying to say that now that we are engaged, I’ve got my own mother, and the second one is Hazy,” James says.

Hazelle’s mother, however, didn’t quite catch it. Chancing upon comment, she thought the person was being “so nice,” since it implied that with Hazelle and James engaged, he now has two mothers — his own and Hazelle’s. 

“My mum actually took a screenshot and sent it to our group chat, saying how they were so sweet. I couldn’t bear to break it to her that the person was being nasty,” says Hazelle.

Chuckling, Hazelle didn't forget to throw in this comeback: "So to this person, you know how to spell karma or not? One day you will get your karma."