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I married a traveller – his family hate it because I’m not one of them and I’m even called a home-wrecking prostitute
LABELLED a prostitute, a home-wrecker and rejected by her husband's family, Nikia Marshall's entry into the travelling community hasn't been easy.
The 22-year-old TikTok star, who's originally from Doncaster but now lives in Slough, Berks, is a gorger, or settled person, and she's married to "dyed in the wool gypsy traveller" Michael, 38.
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WATCH THE FIRST EPISODE OF I MARRED A TRAVELLER EXCLUSIVELY ON
Nikia met boxer Michael, who also owns a roofing company, at a professional fight two years ago, where she was working as a ring girl.
Now, they're fronting I Married A Traveller, an exclusive, six-part , revealing what it's really like to bring their two worlds together.
The hilarious and frank couple will be giving a no-holds barred insight into every aspect of their lives - from sex and dating rituals, to their lavish wedding, finances, family rows and home life (spoiler: Nikia refused to live in a caravan).
Nikia, a former glamour model turned housewife, says: "A lot of traveller girls call me a wannabe and other not nice names, such as prostitute and home-wrecker.
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"When I was living on a caravan site, I didn't feel accepted. Every girl was looking at me weirdly because I'm not the same as them.
"I didn’t want to be the same as them, I have no interest in acting that way, I just was myself and a lot of people didn’t like that.
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"It’s really difficult being married to a traveller, just because you get judged, looked at and talked about. It’s not a very nice community to be in as a gorger person.
"But on the other hand, I really like Michael's ways and how he treats me, it's nice and that comes from his traveller side. He respects me and loves me."
WATCH THE FIRST EPISODE OF I MARRED A TRAVELLER EXCLUSIVELY ON
Nikia and Michael, who wed 20 months ago, were both married and divorced before meeting - which is another source of contention.
She says: "Getting divorced in the travelling community is frowned upon and I was always looked at as the girl who ruined a marriage, even though I got with him when he was single.
"I never ruined nothing, let’s just make that clear. So I don’t think the whole issue was me being a gorger, it was more the package Mike came with that made me unaccepted."
I’ll tell you the truth, most travellers think of normal, settled girls as really easy
Michael Marshall
Michael admits there are misconceptions about settled people among travellers, especially when it comes to women.
He says: "I’ll tell you the truth, most travellers think of normal, settled girls as really easy."
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On the night the pair met, Michael wooed Nikia with Champagne bottle service, unaware she doesn't drink, before trying to take the next step.
Nikia says: "It was a good night but at the end, Mike said, ‘come to my hotel’ and I was like, ‘no’. I wouldn’t even let him kiss me."
Michael adds: "I thought, ‘oh this girl’s different, it’s unbelievable’. I just gave her a peck on the cheek. After that event, I knew I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life.
"Nikia's beautiful and so many men were chatting her up. But I don’t have any game at all and I think she liked that.
"A lot of travelling lads have mad game and they’re talking to loads of people, but I really don’t."
Nikia says: "When I saw Mike, I thought ‘I’m going to get a lot of money out of you’. I genuinely thought I’d hit the jackpot.
"I know that might sound bad but I’m a young girl, I’m from Doncaster, it’s rough as s***, it’s horrible, and I’ve seen him walking around with a nice watch and jacket on, and thought, ‘hmm’.
"Then we went on a date and he was so geeky and intelligent. I thought, ‘oh no, I’m going to fall in love with this man’."
'He wouldn't have had the balls to grab me'
As for Michael's wooing technique, there was absolutely no 'grabbing' involved.
Cult TV show My Big Fat Gypsy Weddings popularised the practise, with cameras exposing teen boys forcing girls to kiss them in car parks.
Producers claimed it was a common "courting ritual" - but this has been denied by the community.
Nikia says: "Michael didn't grab me and it's not something he practices.
"I’ve never had it done to me, I don’t think it’s acceptable. Why should a man be able to grab a woman when it’s not even what she probably wants?
"That’s classed as sexual assault. Mike wouldn't have had the balls to grab me."
Some people in my family were like ‘no don’t be with a traveller, he’ll ruin your life, he’s too old’, because of our 16-year age gap
Nikia Marshall
Her husband adds: "It is a thing but only among different groups of travellers. I think it’s very outdated and more of a teenager thing.
"Truthfully, it’s not something I’ve ever done and I’d really look down on people who would do that.
"I wouldn’t like it if someone grabbed my sister and was trying to stick lips on her, it’s not something you do. It’s a different mentality."
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As for telling their families they were in love - it was a mixed reaction.
Nikia says: "It was 50/50. My mum was really happy for me and my dad was over the moon.
"But some people in my family were like ‘no don’t be with a traveller, he’ll ruin your life, he’s too old’, because of our 16-year age gap.
"At the end of the day, it’s about who I love and who I want.
"Mike's family don't like me and I really don't care, they never even gave me a chance."
'We get hate about my background and the age gap'
Michael adds: "I only told family members who really care about me, and they said, ‘lovely, I’m glad you met someone really nice’.
"But the thing about travellers is they're very judgemental over everybody, especially settled people. Travellers think they're the master race and have the 'we know best' attitude.
"It’s that superiority that’s really annoying, especially to Nikia, because she’s become really successful now through social media.
"The biggest wave of hate from travellers is saying, ‘how can you be popular, you’re not a traveller?’ They really think they’re better than everybody else.
"As a traveller myself, once you let go of that mentality, you can really learn and get on in life."
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Despite the friction caused by their relationship, the pair insist there's no rule blocking travellers from dating gorgers.
Michael says: "It is allowed, but travelling parents will tell their sons not to marry a normal, settled girl. They’ll discourage them.
"A lot of young travelling fellas are really influenced by their mother. If a traveller takes a normal girl back to meet his mother, then she’s The One."
Nikia adds: "And if he doesn’t take you back to meet his mum, then unfortunately you are the side thing. You’re not s*** to him."
Travelling parents will tell their sons not to marry a normal, settled girl. They’ll discourage them. A lot of young travelling fellas are really influenced by their mother
Michael Marshall
When they first got together, Nikia and Michael lived in a caravan park in Oak Lane, Essex - but they've since moved into a rented penthouse flat in Slough.
Michael jokes the worst part about dating a settled woman is having to pay bills - like parking tickets, congestion charge, gas and council tax bills.
But he admits: "Being amongst travelling people in a trailer was not the best place for us to settle down and get our first home.
"When we did, the travelling men and women were all judgemental of Nikia.
"Let me tell you something, when you've suddenly got to keep on top of bills, you really feel like going and getting yourself a nice trailer, then up the road as quick as you can.
"That’s the bad thing about being married to a normal, settled girl. But the good thing is she really keeps it in perspective for me. I don't feel like I have to walk around being the Big Man."
Traveller slang explained
Gorger: A non-Romani or non-traveller.
Grabbing: When a boy grabs an unmarried girl he wants to kiss, without permission.
Mush: Man.
Grunter: A mark, a rich man who's an easy target.
Bure: Woman.
Cushty: Good.
Gammy: Bad.
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Despite now living independently from the community, much of the hate has spilled into Nikia's TikTok comments.
She adds: "There’s never a dull moment in our relationship. Mike brings fiery excitement into my life, which I love, I can’t lie.
"Honestly, it really makes me feel happy that people really hate me. That means I’m doing something good and productive with my life."
Michael says: ";I hate it when people are horrible to Nikia, I really don’t like it.
"But I think she handles the messages and comments she gets on social media like a G.
"You’d expect me as a traveller to go 'argh'," he says, raising his fists, "But I know she can handle her business.
"I’ve got Nikia's back, she’s got mine, if someone’s got something bad to say about us, we’ll handle it as a couple. And if they’re supportive and nice, we’ll say thank you very much."
We want to show we’re normal people and that a gorger and a traveller can love each other and live a normal life
Nikia Marshall
Nikia adds: "We like being transparent about our relationship, because me and Mike are really f***ing cool people and we want to show everyone that - our struggles, our highs, our lows, our great times and our bad times.
"We want to show we’re normal people and that a gorger and a traveller can love each other and live a normal life."
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You can follow Nikia and . She also has her own beauty and fashion range, Red Hot Cosmetics, which . You can also follow Michael .
Check back next Tuesday for the next instalment of .
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