Ever since he starred as a young Prince Charles in The Crown, we’ve all dreamed of being Josh O’Connor’s girlfriend, but if not us, then who? The charming and intensely private British actor captured hearts again in Luca Guadagnino’s exceptionally horny tennis film Challengers, starring alongside Zendaya and Mike Faist.
It’s fair to say O’Connor is still coming to terms with fame. In an interview with GQ in 2023, he reflected on his overnight success in Netflix’s hit show about the British royal family and specifically the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. “It was a f—d-up time,” O’Connor said. “I found it so impactful, people stopping me. You want to be in stuff that’s successful and seen, but I think sometimes we underestimate how powerful even a slight loss of anonymity can be.”
Indeed, he seems more anti-Hollywood than anything. At least, all the ego-massaging and pampering that comes with being an emerging star. “I remember Luca [ saying to me: ‘Actors are like racehorses: You have to keep them in condition if you want them to run as fast as they can,’ ” O’Connor told GQ. “I think what he means is nice hotels, nice food…but being in a hotel room isn’t the best condition for me. It was so luxurious and I just felt depressed.”
He echoed this sentiment in an interview with The Guardian, talking about his reluctance for stardom, particularly with the level of fanfare that’s come with Challengers. “My response to the past couple of months isn’t: ‘Oh yes please, more of that,’” he explained. “I love making work, but I also love being in my garden and tending to plants and watching them live and die. That contrast, I’m hoping, will keep me grounded.” Protect this man at all costs. Josh O’Connor’s girlfriend—if he’s dating anyone—is seriously lucky.
Josh O’Connor’s girlfriends past and present
Because we’re nosy.
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FKA Twigs (2000s sometime)
Image Credit: Photo by NDZ/Star Max/GC Images Ok so FKA Twigs and Josh O’Connor didn’t date but they did go to the same school in Cheltenham. In his interview with GQ Hype, O’Connor confessed. “I really shouldn’t be saying this, but it’s hilarious. I was in a band called Orange Output basically to try and get Twigs to go out with me. I was the lead singer, and one of the lyrics I wrote was, ‘I’m addicted to crack, motherf—er.’ The closest thing I’d had to crack was Coco Pops,” he said, adding, “I don’t think she knows who I am.”
Turns out, she does. In an email response, Twigs told GQ, “I’m very flattered that he tried to do that because I was definitely not cool and not particularly popular.” We’d love to know more about if they have any relationship now, or if they finally met for the first time at the 2024 Met Gala where they were both in attendance. If anyone has any intel for us, let us know.
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Margot Hauer-King (2019—present?)
Image Credit: Photo by Mike Marsland/WireImage When O’Connor first joined The Crown in 2019, he was linked to Margot Hauer-King, who’s the sister of Jonah Hauer-King—the actor who played Prince Eric in the Disney live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
She made her debut on his Instagram page complete with heart emojis and according to an anonymous source quoted by the Daily Mail at the time, “He’s a very private guy, so this is a big deal. It’s serious. He’s found the one.” Whether she was receiving unwanted attention or they’ve broken up, the photo is no longer on his grid and she’s not among the 35 people he follows.
They reportedly did move in together at one point in 2021 after he wrapped on The Crown, but some media reports said that O’Connor moved back to the UK in 2023 after buying a home in Gloucestershire.