Top 20 romantic celebrity couples

Cheryl Cole and Tre Holloway

The mutual status thing didn’t work with Ashley so Cheryl seems to have picked a more housetrained chap and made him look as though he’s in charge. Tre is adopting (or being allowed to adopt) a dominant, leadership stance as he strides ahead looking strong and purposeful, towing a slightly more submissive Cheryl in his wake. His hand is firmly on top in the clasp, suggesting he’s both protecting and steering her which means she can adopt a less active look.

Why it works: The status balance can be a tricky one in reality and not all girls want what they know they can control. On the plus side their matching smiles suggest Tre knows how to make Cheryl laugh.

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Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner

There’s something a bit formal about this pose as the pair seem unusually rigid. Their arms look odd here, as though they’re posing on stage. For two A-list names they seem unusually keen to get the torsos in a perfect position. The good news is that they are both participating in the look and being ‘like-bodied’ usually means a couple are ‘like-minded’.

Why it works: Everything looks hugely equal here, they both present to the cameras in a way that suggests they are high-status, when many Hollywood couples adopt a more lopsided look, with one doing ‘adored’ while the other busies themselves doing ‘adoring’. The strict pose also suggests a shared sense of professionalism.

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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

This is Angelina’s famous leg bomb pose. This look replicates a state of partial aggressive arousal, with the knee and elbow splay, making Angelina look dominant and potentially confrontational, rather than standing elegantly alongside her man.

Why it works: These two always look as though Angelina is calling the posing shots while Brad just stands beside her. If that is indicative of their relationship then it should work as long as the more innovative, headstrong partner gets to call the shots and the other goes along for the ride.

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Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber

This is not a good look in terms of body language compatibility with only one of them looking as though they are really enjoying the red carpet thing. Naomi’s perfect smile suggests she’s in her element. Her legs are crossed away from Liev, suggesting she’s keen to move on while his legs are well planted, making him look as though movement is not currently an option. His camera stare lacks the warmth of a smile and his hand in one pocket could signal an inner desire to hide.

Why it works: The cliché goes that opposites attract, which could be a good thing if you judge these two on their body language signals.

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Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel

These two have the look of a long-term married couple about them. This body language looks comfortable and low in drama which might be a first for any celeb couple. Jessica holds onto Justin’s arm in a companionable way rather than looking possessive or overly sexual. Their overall body signals are mirrored, suggesting like-minded thinking.

Why it works: In the past Justin’s girlfriends have appeared rather high-maintenance, romping around him or clinging to him. Jessica’s body language suggest a more stoic and calm state which might be just what the former child star needs in his life.

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Kate Middleton and Prince William

For a royal relationship their body language signals always look amazingly even-handed in terms of status, confidence and support. William clearly wins in the size and strength department and although he will tend to face-check Kate a lot (which suggests a protective eye) she will do the same to him, meaning they are keen to look after each other. Although their PDAs are quite rare they show signs of genuine warmth, affection and friendship in the way they tend to gravitate towards one another, leaning in as they do here.

Why it works: Kate and William had been together for a long time before they married and seemingly led a ‘normal’ life together, and that tends to reflect in their body language. They look at ease with one another and their subliminal mirroring suggests they are tuned in to one another’s thoughts and emotions.

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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

They always seemed an unlikely pairing at first but then we got bombarded with some uber-affectionate PDAs and now they look as though they’ve always been like two peas in a pod. When a couple are in love they can have a tendency to start to look like one another, copying clothing, words or – in this case – body language poses.

Why it works: The matching poses seem to be subconscious and it appears to be pretty equal in terms of effort, which suggests a couple of people prepared to compromise and flex to be in love. If that tendency lasts, so should the relationship.

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Katie Price and Kieran Hayler

They’ve only been together for a short while but Katie and Kieran’s body language isn’t quite fitting into the ‘whirlwind romance’ category yet. We’d all love to see Katie swept off her feet by the right guy but her body language here still looks kind of solitary despite the fact that Kieran has her hand held firmly in his own mitt. With her eyes facing front and a stride that looks way more purposeful than her new husband’s (plus the sizeable gap between them) there’s no true sign of romantic connection.

Why it works: Dunno to be honest, this one is a bit of an enigma.

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Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling

This couple seem to be at either ends of the spectrum in terms of personality and emotions. Eva’s arched brow and slightly pursed lips make her look fiery and extrovert while Ryan’s relaxed eye expression and quiet smile suggests a far more placid, laid-back temperament. There are no tie-signs here in terms of clues of intimacy, bonding or affection but they do appear to be in a red carpet line-up where more neutral displays are common when a couple don’t want to alienate their co-celebs.

Why it works: This could be an example of a complimentary relationship based of totally different states. Maybe his more laid-back attitude is what she needs to add calm to the day while her fire could keep him motivated. If so, there might be outbreaks of conflict in between the compatible moments.

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David Beckham and Victoria Beckham

Victoria looks distinctly distant from her family here. David has his brood all within his wide wings and there’s no mistaking the family signals but Victoria is doing her signature look which is the fashionista pelvic jut and dipped chin perma-pout combo.

Why it works: So what if her pose is a stand-alone? David appears untroubled by it and he probably even admires her for all the work she puts in ensuring it’s perfect every time. Their signals suggest they are both perfectionists, being dedicated to work and family and to one another.

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Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr

Miranda appears to be using Orlando to pose off (rather than together) here. This doesn’t necessarily mean problems but Orlando does look far more awkward. Maybe being adored got a bit boring and he’s happy to be upstaged by his unbelievably beautiful wife.

Why it works: This couple have been beset by rumours about a split. By leaning her head back away from Orlando she does nothing to imply emotional closeness although there’s no great need to snuggle up on the red carpet just to prove the doubters wrong.

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Kimberley Walsh and Justin Scott

Justin’s tucked-in pose with his arms close to his body and his head down suggests he’s not fighting for the limelight and the way she holds his crooked arm suggests genuine compatibility. But the best bit is their faces. Their expressions, smiles and angles of tilt are so similar that they almost look like one another, which has to be a sign of shared humour and a close affection.

Why it works: He seems to have got the power balance right, staying slightly under the radar while the cameras pick Kimberley out, although his smile suggests good humour about all the attention.

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Lily Cooper and Sam Cooper

Lily never seems the kind of girl to mask her emotions, being an open and honest type of celeb, so the easiest way to judge the relationship between her and Sam is to look at her facial expression. She looks wonderfully happy with Sam and it has to be said that he looks pretty chipper himself. The couple look instantly nested and cosy together here.

Why it works: Possibly because Lily was smart enough to chose a compatible partner rather than a ‘celebrity’ partner. His signals suggest he supplies security and stability and can clearly make Lily laugh too.

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David Walliams and Lara Stone

Of course this relationship works because we know it works, but it never really makes the easiest viewing in terms of their body language. David looks rather awkward here with a stretched social smile that doesn’t quite suggest relaxed happiness while Lara is working the pose with her fingers round his neck, leaning her torso in to face him. She tends to look beautiful and confident while he often looks slightly diffident.

Why it works: Comedians can often be quite shy when not in role and David could be no exception, in which case it could be Lara who is the more social one of the two of them.

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Jay Z and Beyonce

Jay Z and Beyonce’s body language set-pieces give off such an immaculate vibe. Whether they’re at the Super Bowl or inaugurations, they look finely-tuned and happy with their status as new parents and as the current golden couple. Even Jay Z is smiling here rather than just looking cool, and the way she clings to his arm suggests she’s still happily smitten.

Why it works: These two seem to have glided upward through the star system without apparent effort or internal conflict, making compatible changes each step of the way. This takes a lot of like-minded thinking and goals, which their body language now suggests they have.

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Kelly Brook and Danny Cipriani

Of course there’s no better way of getting over a split than being snapped with your ex and wearing a ‘naughty’ smile. The Cheshire Cat-size smile suggests she might be happier about the public outing than Danny.

Why it works: That depends on why it didn’t work the first time around. Second-try relationships have a notoriously dodgy shelf life unless there have been major behavioural changes.

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Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth

These two are very different in terms of their body language, with most of the adoring signals coming from Miley. She always puts a barrel-load of work into looking smitten and loved-up. She has the cute grin, the hand on her man’s chest and even the teenager-with-a-crush leg position. He, meanwhile, does a bit of a waxwork impression. Does she ever prompt a similarly-smitten response from him? Not so far as I have seen.

Why it works: It could primarily be because she wants it to.

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Holly Willoughby and Dan Baldwin

These two look really cute together. She does her ‘celebrity’ and he does ‘I’m not’. Their heads are pulled together to suggests trust and closeness and her hand on his stomach signals proud ownership. With his outstretched other arm he looks almost as though he’s falling into this pose but their smiles suggest shared humour, as though their best times come when they’ve got home and kicked their shoes off and settled down to laugh about the event.

Why it works: Their differing styles of dress and pose create these two are at opposite ends of the celebrity world but their shared humour and head touching signals deeper, more intrinsic closeness and shared values.

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Kate Moss and Jamie Hince

These two appear to be in a well-balanced relationship because they seem to take it in turns to do the happy-go-lucky and more extrovert stuff. This was clearly Jamie’s night, judging by the broad smile and the gently steering hand around Kate’s neck while she’s in demure mode with her head down and arm and bag pulled in close to her body as a barrier.

Why it works: This reminds me of those marriages where they take it in turns to do the driving after a night out. The role-swap seems to work for these two although I’d expect them to have a chauffeur!

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Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Jason Statham

Rosie is one of the current red carpet beauties and he is Hollywood A-list, so instead of either looking submissive and smitten he has gone for the James Bond look while she strides out alongside. Rosie holds his arm with her own arm outstretched as if to signal they are each famous in their own right.

Why it works: Possibly because even though she’s beautiful he mooches along in a cool-guy way as though he’s not impressed or overwhelmed by her beauty. He could be the one to keep their feet on the ground.

Image: REX