TikTok Claims Ignite Dating App Uproar

Former EastEnders star Dean Gaffney is once again in the spotlight after social media users claimed the actor has returned to the dating world—and may be pursuing women significantly younger than himself. The 47-year-old, best known for playing Robbie Jackson, is said to have been spotted on Hinge swiping for women up to 15 years his junior. The claims went viral after a TikTok user posted a video saying she received a like and a message from Gaffney calling her “gorgeous.”

The woman admitted she was stunned. Matching with a former soap star, she said, was something she “did not have on her 2025 bingo card.” She joked that if her mother knew, she would “do an actual backflip,” as their family are long-time EastEnders viewers.

More Users Claim Similar Encounters

Within hours, the comments section exploded with responses from others who claimed similar experiences. One comment, now liked nearly 900 times, read: “Who here has been personally swiped by Dean Gaffney?” More TikTok users jumped in, saying they had also been called “stunning” or received likes from an account believed to belong to the actor.

These posts triggered a wider conversation about Gaffney’s online dating history. Some users even suggested that the profile could be listing a younger age than his true one—though this has not been confirmed.

A Complicated Dating Past

Reports surfaced last month that the actor had grown close to Kate Black, a Harvard graduate 16 years younger than him, whom he had allegedly been dating since April. The relationship reportedly began through mutual friends.

Gaffney, a father of twin daughters with ex-partner Sarah Burge, has openly used dating apps in the past. His profile has included descriptions of himself as a humble man looking for someone who doesn’t smoke, which he calls his “biggest turn-off.” One line from his profile that caught attention: “Dating me is like winning the lottery every day.”

His App History: Bumble, Tinder, Raya… and Now Hinge

Gaffney’s digital dating timeline goes back several years. He reportedly joined Bumble in 2019 after the end of his long-term relationship in 2015. In 2021, he moved to the celebrity app Raya. Music fans noticed he selected Kate Bush’s This Woman’s Work as the soundtrack to his dating profile at the time.

Whether the latest Hinge profile is current or genuine remains unverified, but it has certainly reignited public fascination with the actor’s love life.

As the online debate continues, one thing is clear: Dean Gaffney still knows how to get people talking—on and off Albert Square.