Brangelina

Hearts broke worldwide when the news surfaced that Brangelina was no more. Unanimously seen as the power couple of Hollywood, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have reigned supreme as a model of the perfect relationship for 12 impressive years. But alas, all good things come to an end… and on the plus side, it means that there’s a new singleton in tinseltown.

But that begs the question: who could possibly step up to the plate of dating the Most Beautiful Woman In The World (fact!)? Our celebrity dating experts do some digging to present our favourite potential suitors for the lovely Angelina.

Match #1 – Bradley Cooper

Who better to take the lead than the actor voted Sexiest Man Alive? Bradley Cooper is perhaps one of the few Hollywood stars that could aspire to equal footing with Angelina on both looks and accomplishments.

A known humanitarian who, like Angelina, hit the respectable age of 40 last year, it seems he ticks all the right boxes for this starry-eyed mother of six. Just imagine the awards cabinet….

However, there is a catch: Bradley Cooper is currently looking very settled with Russian supermodel Irina Shayk. She is, though, 10 years his junior (not that we’re judging!) and their relationship hasn’t been plain sailing. So let’s not rule it out… we know how fast the celebrity dating scene can move!

Successful match probability: 62%

Match #2 – Cara Delevingne

Second on our list is the bold, beautiful Cara Delevinge. A woman, you ask? Well, die-hard Jolie fans will know that before Brad Pitt strolled along, Angelina was very open about her bisexuality. She dated model Jenny Shimizi in the 90s, a relationship that reportedly went on for years.

Cara and Angelina are no strangers; in fact, rumours swirled earlier this year that Brad got in trouble for flirting with the model. However, perhaps the media got the wrong end of the stick… having recently split from girlfriend St. Vincent, we can certainly see Cara helping Angelina rediscover her feminine side.

In fact, Cara has piped up publicly about the Brangelina divorce proceedings, saying: “My admiration for Angelina Jolie is endless, I also admire anyone who transforms their pain into power.” Take the hint, Ange!

Successful match probability: 80%

Match #3 – Johnny Depp

The Pirates Of The Caribbean star may be a little unpopular at the moment, as messy divorce proceedings continue with Amber Heard following the much-talked-about domestic abuse case.

Considering that similar rumours are circling the Brangelina split, you’d think Johnny Depp would be the last person on Angelina’s radar. However, it’s well known that the pair got on well during their time filming The Tourist back in 2010, so would it be too far a stretch to imagine these Hollywood demagogues coming together?

Already there are stories that the two have been spending time together since Brad left the camp. Supposedly, she has even hired the lawyer recommended by Depp as the divorce gets underway. So watch this space – history can repeat itself, right?

Successful match probability – 71%

Wildcard – Edward Snowden

We can hear what you’re thinking…. What on earth would someone like Angelina Jolie be doing with a whistleblower who spends his days behind a computer screen instead of strutting the red carpet? Well, hear us out, because she has more in common with Edward Snowden than you might think.

While Angelina Jolie’s fame has been largely based on playing the female protagonist in some of our best-loved spy movies, Edward has made a name for himself by being the real-life detective behind some of the most shocking revelations in US history.

His role may be seen as controversial by some, but there’s no denying the humanitarian edge to his efforts, having been voted as The Guardian’s person of the year in 2013 and granted the German ‘Whistleblower Prize’ in the same year.

He might not be the most glamorous candidate for the role of Mr Jolie, but Angelina clearly has a soft spot for the fast-paced, undercover world. Perhaps Edward’s credentials could draw her in after all?

Successful match probability – 57%

Angelina might be a little tied up in divorce proceedings right now, but as admirers queue to woo this Hollywood sweetheart, we wanted to place our bets on the most likely suitors nice and early.

Have you got a perfect match in mind for Miss Jolie? Or would you like to weigh in on our own suggestions? Comment below or visit our Facebook and Twitter pages to join the conversation!

Photo Credit: Cancillería del Ecuador

should women make the first move

A hundred years ago, it would’ve been ludicrous to suggest that women could vote, hold down a professional career, and wear trousers like a boss. But look what’s happened – nothing short of a sexual revolution, albeit one that isn’t quite sure whether women should make the first move when they meet an amazing guy.

Strange, isn’t it? We’re caught between modern and classic gender identities, bemoaning the death of chivalry just as we encourage girls to be strong, independent and free of male pandering. Let’s try and make some sense of what to do on the dating scene when this age-old question presents itself…

Blurred lines

Until very recently in our history, a patriarchal society was unquestioned. To bygone generations, the idea of a man guiding the courting process just seemed to make sense – business, politics, trade and world affairs were already open to them, so it was logical to assume that men should take the lead in wooing the fairer sex too.

This thinking eventually succumbed to social changes, such as an explosion in youth culture, paving the way for casual dating. Nowadays, women are just as likely to make the first move as men. Predictably, though, it destabilised the gender roles and expectations we were accustomed to.

It’s hard to know whether he should approach you first, air a chat-up line and offer to pay for drinks; or whether the woman should instigate a connection, deciding what happens from there. All sounds pretty complicated, doesn’t it? Surely there’s a middle ground we can reach?

Guidance from the expert 

Well, yes, there very well might be. Looking for answers, FreeAndSingle managed to catch Kezia Noble, a successful dating expert, for her views on how singletons should approach the dating game:

“Women should not make the first move,” she states, “unless they want to make the first move.” This treads the line neatly between what a women wants to do and what is potentially expected of her i.e. thinking you have to assert yourself every time is a prescription in itself. Going with the moment is the truest freedom there is.

A girl can leave the power in his hands, yet still make her intentions known. Non-verbal signals include a long-held gaze, responsive body language and touching him lightly on the shoulder or back. Noble says that “if a man can’t read the signals that say we might be interested in talking to him, then it’s usually a sign that they either lack experience or self-belief. It might sound like a fairly antiquated rule, especially now that we live in an era where women possess an increasing amount of power and self assurance, but there’s still something primitively sexy about a man going for what he wants.” It seems, then, that a woman can make the first move and leave things to interpretation, simultaneously playing coy, keen and open to what happens next.

By doing so, the question of who should hit on who becomes a finely tuned bowstring of respect. Too much pressure on either side will snap that initial connection; the cannily direct female approach can fuel a man’s ability to take charge and decide how the conversation will go, satisfying old and new gender ideas in one swoop. Nice work, Kezia.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Is it right for a woman to kick romance partly into gear, but keep the full extent of her affections under the hood? Sound off your comments below…

Kezia Noble

Kezia Noble is a female pick up coach and founder of Kezia Noble Inc. She released her best-selling book, ‘The Noble Art Of Seducing Woman’, in 2012, and continues to coach thousands of men about dating techniques.