I gave up my career to marry a traveller – now I’m not even allowed to go out without him but if he’s happy, so am I
SHE was a successful air hostess who gave it all up after meeting the love of her life.
But her career wasn't the only thing that changed when Holly Joyce met her now husband Dougie back in September 2019.
As Dougie is a traveller, Holly had to learn to live by an entirely new set of rules - including not being able to go out without her husband, and accepting that "what he says goes".
"It's been a whirlwind that's turned into a fairytale," Holly told
"The biggest difference being a traveller's wife is you must respect your husband - what he says goes.
"He wouldn't want me out at parties without him, we'd always go together.
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"He's the man, so he can go out if he wants, but I'm the woman so I can only go out with him."
While Holly is allowed to go to the salon or shops on her own, Dougie is "very protective and worries about my safety if I'm out alone".
"I don't feel like I'm missing out because if I want to do something I just ask Dougie and we can do it together," she insisted.
"I'd rather be with him anyway."
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The pair first met online after liking each other's pictures and started chatting over direct messages.
They met up for the first time in Manchester in March 2020, and Dougie apparently knew within seconds that he would "marry this woman".
He popped the question at their daughter Oceanna's gender reveal party in December 2020 and the pair wed in an extravagant £60,000 wedding in July 2022.
Holly's family was initially unsure about her relationship with Dougie, especially as he was the first traveller she'd ever dated and a professional bare-knuckle fighter, but he soon won them over.
"My family were worried at first, but as soon as they saw how well he looks after me and how respectful he is, they soon approved," Holly said.
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"He's such an amazing dad - family is everything to him.
"I remember being so impressed by how Dougie treats his mum. He never answers back to his mother and has so much respect for her.
"He buys her flowers, designer shoes, and anything she wants.
"The way a man speaks to his mum says a lot, and Dougie has always been so loving and respectful towards her."
Another thing that Holly had to get used to was waiting on her man hand and foot.
"Dougie expects the house to be perfect, and to be looked after when he comes home from work," she said.
"He doesn't even make his own drinks.
"It's quite different to my past relationships and it took some getting used to at first, but he looks after me and provides for our family so I'm happy to do it.
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"If he's happy, I'm happy."
The pair's relationship, as well as a deeper look at the traveller community, has been documented in a new film The Joyce Family Documentary, which is available to watch on Amazon Prime.
