Woman, 22, says 73-year-old roommate is best shes ever had despite large age gap: I have a friend for life

Two housemates with a 51-year age gap say they have “lots” in common — they do most things together and never argue. Ella Wilson, 22, moved in with 73-year-old retiree David Cox in Sydney, Australia in September 2024, after backpacking around Australia.She found his room through word-of-mouth — after a customer at the cafe she works in introduced the pair. Despite their generational difference, Ella says David is the “best housemate she’s ever had” — and the pair cook together, go running together, and eat ice cream together.David has even said Ella reminds him of his own eldest daughter, now 45, and jokingly calls her a “stand-in daughter.” Ella, a travel content creator, originally from England, said: “David and I get along like a house on fire — we never argue. “I’ve lived in rented rooms before — I always felt like I was just living in someone else’s house. “It’s a completely different ball game here. “I feel completely at home — not like I’m treading on eggshells. “The only time David and I ever disagree, is when he tries to give me cookies when he knows I’m eating healthily.”David, a retiree, said: “To be honest, I thought it’d be hell — but I’m surprised at how easy it’s been. “We take turns in cooking — we have an unwritten rule that one person cooks for us one night, then the other, the following night.”Ella left college aged 18 in 2020 to go traveling — as she didn’t feel she was made for the “UK life.”After backpacking around Spain and Hawaii, she made her way to Australia in January 2024 — initially hoping to travel for a week. But after her week of booked accommodation ran out, she decided to stay in the country and sofa-surf. “I was living in hostels and staying on people’s sofas the whole way,” she said. “I thought, around August, that I’d need to settle for a bit and actually find some work. “I got myself a cafe job — but I still needed somewhere to li...