People who speculate about Michael and Anna's relationship based on his previous ones seem to forget one thing: none of those past relationships lasted.
Perhaps it is precisely because the relationship between Michael and Anna is different that they would last (or at least last longer than all the previous ones). Their behaviour on Celebrity Gogglebox wasn't strange when you consider the specific context.
Things with Anna are different: She is his youngest partner to this date. There is yet no sign of her cheating on him (unlike Kate B). She doesn't have a fanbase that bully Michael for his looks (unlike Rachel M). She also studied and worked in plays before (unlike Lorraine S). She is willing to stay in Wales/the UK with him (unlike Sarah S). She was officially introduced to the public as his partner (unlike Aisling B, who was likely the very woman Sarah alluded to as someone Michael dated only "for a beat" as rebound after their breakup).
Anna stood by him during the most stressful time of his life. She gave him 2 beautiful Welsh-Swede children just like he has always wanted. She doesn't spread any wrong rumor about him. She makes him laugh in their private life. She takes cute photos of him with their kids and put a selfie with him as her phone's lock screen. She is close with the other Sheens, especially his mum Irene and his eldest daughter Lily.
3. Michael might not show his affection often in public, but he always does sweet things for Anna. He does all the family bin chores because she hates it. He kills all kinds of insects that invade their house. He doesn't let her do any heavy work. He publicly gave a heartfelt answer about how they feel like their age gap love would worth the pain of him dying long before her. He called her "my Love". He used "🏴🇸🇪❤️" in his birthday post caption. He sends her gifts and flowers on anniversaries, even when he is away. He said it's Anna who tolerates him living like a caveman. He smiled when Lorraine Kelly praised Anna's beauty. He thanked Anna in front of live audience after the successful first play of his WNT. He spoke up in her defense on Twitter/X.
4. Now, my answers to questions from those who hate MichaelxAnna about them on Celebrity Gogglebox (2):
First, why were they not be lovey-dovey and cuddling and stuff? Well, it was SUMMER. During a record-breaking HEATWAVE no less. Michael probably didn't want to get sweaty or get his sweat on Anna, and so did she.
Second, about the "I look forward to missing being told what to do" joke. Yes, one could understand it as he was joking about leaving her. But the joke could also be interpreted as that scenario would NOT happen because they would NOT break up and Michael would DIE BEFORE ANNA. She was laughing at the IRONY of his words.
Third, Gogglebox is NOT a talk show. Michael and Anna weren't there to go over details about their love, and a lot of their talking were definitely cut. He could have been waxing poetry about Anna, and those footage would end up on the cutting-room floor to ensure each couple on the show only has 10 to 30 seconds of airtime per segment.
Finally, what was their purpose of doing this Gogglebox? Easy money is one thing. Another is that Gogglebox is under the same studio as Celebrity Traitors. Sheenie is one of the big names for series 2, and this appearance could be another deal he made with the BBC. Maybe that's why he looked tense: Strict NDAs are hanging over his head by those same people standing behind the cameras. His lack of reaction to Anna's touch while he was crying might have been due to stress and a need for time to regain his composure.
In conclusion: Michael x Anna is different from all of his old relationships and that's a good thing, their behaviour on Celebrity Gogglebox could be explained by specific context, and their relationship may be stronger than you think.
