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How a joke found Samantha her soulmate

Samantha never imagined her career in comedy would find her a man
Samantha and Toby on their travels
Me and Toby – we both love travelling
Supplied.
  • Samantha Hannah, 38, Wellington, NZ works as a comedian
  • She wrote a show about her dating experiences called How to Find a Husband in a Year
  • During her hunt for a hubby, she met her now-partner Toby

Here Samantha shares her story in her own words.

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Lining up to check in my luggage at the airport, I felt a pang of sadness.

It was 2017 and I was about to fly from the UK to Australia.

My brother had passed away unexpectedly a few years earlier and left me some money. So I booked my ticket to see the world and live life to the full, because now he couldn’t.

‘I had no idea where to start.’

After touching down in Sydney, I planned to travel around the country before I hopped across the ditch for an adventure around New Zealand.

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I wanted to take time on my journey and think about what I wanted to do with my life.

I’d always loved comedy and had even worked the UK comedy circuit in my mid-20s doing stand-up.

Now as I travelled Australia for a few weeks, frequenting pubs, hiking rugged trails and surfing at pristine beaches, I had a yearning to return to the stage. But I had no idea where to start when it came to writing new material – that was until a friend posted on Instagram that she was engaged.

Samantha doing stand up comedy
Me doing a stand-up comedy show Credit: (Dianna Thompson)
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I was so happy for her, but it seemed like every time I logged onto social media, friends were announcing their upcoming wedding, baby or new home.

Meanwhile, at 31, I was happy, but still single, unemployed, and had no fixed address.

Everyone’s suddenly grown up, I sighed.

Then an idea dawned on me… I could write a show about my dating experiences and call it How to Find a Husband in a Year.

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‘I was greeted with a plethora of interest from men.’

I didn’t waste any time and, now living in Wellington, New Zealand, I downloaded the dating app Tinder.

Not wanting to string anyone along, I shared my intentions on my profile, warning potential suitors that any ‘Tinder action’ may be used in material for my show.

Soon I was greeted with a plethora of interest from men, and I said yes to all of them.

The more dates I go on, the more jokes I’ll have to tell during my show,’ I said to friends. ‘And you never know, my husband hunt might prove successful, too,’ I laughed.

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But after 30 dates, none of them were husband material.

Then in October 2017, I matched with a guy called Toby. His bio was funny and original, and his first message made me chuckle.

Congrats on your match 19,000km away, he wrote.

While he was originally from Gisborne, NZ, Toby was living in London.

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Hannah and Toby hiking
Us hiking in NZ (Credit: Supplied.)

We began exchanging messages. Toby was 30, worked in analytics, and was recently out of a long-term relationship. He loved travelling and we giggled about how, although we were on opposite sides of the world, we both lived in cities the other was well acquainted with.

‘We shared our first kiss.’

When I told Toby about my planned road trip around New Zealand with some girlfriends, he replied with a list of recommended places to visit, including a stop at the fish and chip shop in Napier that his parents owned.

Hitting the road with the girls a few weeks later, we headed out one night for drinks. After a few wines, I found the courage to video call Toby.

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‘Nice to see your face,’ I giggled.

‘You too. Looks like you’re having a great time,’ he winked.

The conversation was short, but sweet, and clearly left a lasting impression as, the following morning, Toby had breakfast delivered to my hostel.

I thought you’d appreciate this, he messaged.

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And I did!

By that November, our conversations had become quite flirty. Having wrapped up my road trip with friends – and missing London – I decided I’d visit Toby there.

When I landed, he was waiting at the airport with a bottle of my favourite apple juice I’d told him about, that hadn’t been available Down Under.

We spent a week together, during which Toby showed me his favourite pubs and cafes, and I took him on a tour around spots I love, including Madame Tussauds and the London Dungeon attraction.

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There we shared our first kiss, and I knew Toby was special.

After a week in London, we visited my family in Scotland.

Samantha pregnant, Toby standing behind her
Showing off my baby bump (Credit: Supplied.)

Then when Toby was on a skiing trip in Italy in early 2018, he broke his leg.

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As I was still in London, I helped nurse him back to health. And by the time he’d recovered, I’d decided to stay in London.

In July 2018, with a catalogue of hilarious experiences up my sleeve, I performed my stage show for the first time. Toby proudly cheered me on from the audience.

‘My find a hubby in a year challenge did lead me to love,’ I spluttered on stage pointing to my man.

‘The irony is that I travelled 19,000 kilometres for love and I’m still not married,’ which had the audience erupting in laughter.

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In May 2021, Toby and I relocated to Wellington, NZ, where we bought our first home together.

And in November this year, we’ll be embarking on our greatest adventure yet, when we welcome our first bub together.

I can’t wait to tell them all about how telling jokes led me to their dad.

It may have started out as a bit of fun, but I’ve certainly had the last laugh.

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This story was published in that’s life! in August 2024.

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