Heavily pregnant Ashley James celebrates a year of dating her boyfriend Tommy with sweet snaps as she admits 'she didn't like men much anymore' when they met

Heavily pregnant Ashley James shared a gallery of sweet pictures of herself with boyfriend Tommy on their year anniversary. 

The 32-year-old wrote that she 'didn't like men too much' when they met due to bad dating experiences but credits her 'independence' for helping her finally have a toxic-free romance. 

Ashley's baby is due in January and she wrote: 'It's the 1st December which means it's exactly 365 days ago since we went on our first date... ❤️ 

'We both said from the beginning we wanted an adventure, and this year has certainly been that... I can't wait to see where next year takes us.

'They always say you find someone when you're not looking, but I suppose mine is the opposite. 

'I'd been so happy single, didn't like men much anymore, and had such a wonderful life on my own surrounded by friends... But I decided about a month before meeting Tommy to put some effort into dating again.' 

Noting that she changed her attitude in order to find love, she added: 'I felt open to the idea of meeting someone again and knew that wouldn't happen at a DJ gig or in my flat where I hosted many an epic dinner party with my friends. 

'I downloaded the dreaded dating apps again, made my profile as anti-fu*k boy proof as possible, and tried to keep an open mind.' 

Ashley often refers to the fact that she was single for six years before she met Tommy and said that helped her to learn things about herself.  

She penned: 'To be honest, I didn't know if I was "too independent", and I always found it hard to connect with someone because I grew up in so many different backgrounds I never quite felt like I fit in to any. 

'I definitely didn't know if I'd meet someone with good values and morals as my experiences had tainted my views. 

'But I did. I met someone as independent as me, with the same sense of adventure, (a lot more patience)... and whilst it's been one hell of a year, it's never felt too rushed or like I've lost myself. 

'I'm still the same Ashley as I was single, I've never had to compromise my friends, hobbies, or interests to be in this relationship, and I've gained such an amazing family. 

'Being single for 6 years taught me so much about my self, allowed me to work on areas I needed to in myself (and learn a lot of lessons about myself), and gave me the power and knowledge to know that life is perfectly wonderful alone.'

She concluded: 'This definitely led me to this healthy and lovely relationship. It may have taken me to 32 to meet someone, but I'd have waited another decade to meet this guy. 

'I can't wait for the next 365 days of adventure as mum and dad, but also as us. I hope our son grows up just like you (but with my banter).'