From Gigi and Zayn to Liam and Cheryl, body language expert Judi James gives her verdict on the year’s hottest couples
THIS year has been explosive, thanks to some unpredictable break-ups and dramatic bust-ups as well as a number of new and blossoming romances.
News of Cheryl shacking up with One Direction's Liam Payne took us all by surprise and no one was sure what to make of Gigi Hadid hooking up with Zayn Malik so quickly after his break up from Lix Mix's Perrie Edwards.
The celeb town falling in and out of love more often than a hormonal teenager, we thought it was time to get the lowdown on these budding romances.
Body language expert and author of The Body Language Bible Judi James has reviewed some of the year's hottest couples and her predictions could come as a bit of a surprise...
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom
Judi's analysis...
THEIR BODIES: Orlando is full-facing Katy to signal maximum romantic attention plus some sexual torso-contact, but she has turned sideways-on, literally cold-shouldering him to cool the pose down.
THEIR FACES: Orlando looks like a man who will grab any opportunity to show sexual attraction at its most extreme for Katy and for this pose for the cameras he goes in for the kiss, leaning his head forward and narrowing his eyes to show the level of his passion.
Katy, however has inclined her head slightly backwards away from him and bared her teeth rather than puckering or pouting. The tooth-baring smile can signal suppressed aggression, which means that as well as rejecting Orlando’s proffered snog she’s possibly secretly getting fed up with all the rather hard-core PDAs.
THEIR HANDS: Buried away beneath all the open displays of desire their hands aren’t even touching. Hmm!
WILL IT LAST? Katy does love her bad boys and Orlando fits the bill in terms of celebrity status so a marriage could easily be on the cards but I can’t see this going long-term as the pair look incompatible in terms of professional image and romantic ideals.
Liam Payne and & Cheryl
Judi's analysis...
THEIR BODIES: Cheryl is an adept A-list-style poser, standing elegantly and confidently but also in a rather independent way here rather than snuggling in for a more spontaneous PDA.
She knows how to work the cameras but this pose looks rehearsed and formal. Liam on the other hand looks like a guy who is trying to do what he has been told.
Cheryl seems to be in charge of this pose but his leg splay and hand shoved into his pocket suggest he’s feeling awkward and might prefer something more exuberant and open.
THEIR FACES: Again, Cheryl’s is the power-pose here, with that confident stare straight into the camera suggesting a rather controlled personality and a love of being in charge.
Liam’s dipped chin and raised eyes signal a more submissive approach but his eye expression is always very revealing, hinting he might struggle with the more private and secretive approach to their relationship.
THEIR SMILES: Cheryl’s closed-mouth smile signals uber-confidence but Liam’s cheeky grin looks young and fun, like a guy who normally might not take life quite so seriously.
WILL IT LAST? Cheryl seems to be keen to design her relationships but the guys don’t always fall into line. Liam looks very much like a man in love but how will he handle the pressure of two challenging careers and a baby plus the intensified fame?
David Beckham did it so let’s hope he can step up to the plate in a similar fashion.
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Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik
Judi's analysis...
THEIR HEADS: Zayn’s dipped head and shades suggest a guy in his own world in terms of a lack of confidence and a desire to hide.
He’s very dominant in this pose but at the same time looking very vulnerable and uncomfortable.
Gigi however seems made of stronger stuff. Her head is up showing almost maternal confidence and support.
THEIR FACES: Zayn’s downturned mouth looks glum but Gigi’s expression suggests she’s smiling for him, which is another quasi-maternal trait.
THEIR HANDS: Zayn walks ahead to suggests higher status and – again – an air of being relatively solo. Gigi’s hands are hugely revealing though.
Her two-handed clasp on Zayn’s arm signals possession and ownership mixed with a desire to support.
WILL IT LAST? Probably not. Gigi’s modelling career has gone stellar meaning Zayn will either have to become a camp follower or survive long periods of separation. If he needs loads of reassurance and confidence-boosting support this could be a problem.
Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash
Judi's analysis...
THEIR SMILES: Both Stacey and Joe are known for their humour but smiles like these are over-congruent rather than spontaneous.
When we laugh like this we often tend to look at the person we like the most but there’s no eye-sharing going on at this particular moment, suggesting they might still be at the stage of being too embarrassed to do an on-screen PDA.
THEIR BODIES: I love the down-to-earth little torso slumps that suggest they are otherwise comfortable in each others’ company.
Joe leans in towards Stacey as he talks and their legs are crossed towards one another, signalling strong bonds of friendship.
THEIR HANDS: They might be sharing a joke but they’re not really sharing the emotions here. Stacey is in passive, hands-off mode while Joe’s expressive hand gestures show he’s happy to take all the attention.
WILL IT LAST? Yes, as friends and on-screen chemistry, but their body language suggests it should ideally still be very early days yet in terms of converting this into anything more permanent.
Pippa Middleton and James Matthews
Judi's analysis...
THEIR LEGS: James has got the alpha splay going on here although it’s a relaxed gesture rather than a territorial one.
It’s often said that attraction is shown when your legs are crossed towards your partner but once a relationship has been established it can be sexier to cross away as Pippa is doing here as it creates closer body touch.
THEIR HEADS: Mutual exclusive attention is being signalled here, with both heads turned in at the same angle.
They are at a stage of equal eye and ear-listening signals which does suggest a both a love match and an intellectual match.
THEIR MOUTHS: Pippa’s symmetric, open-mouth smile looks congruent and relaxed. It’s clearly James’s face prompting the grin, making a classic expression known as ‘The look of love’.
James’s down-turned mouth smile is complimentary rather than twinned or mirrored here. It suggests admiration and a desire to keep her smile going.
WILL IT LAST? It’s probably the highest compatibility score of this group, looking ideal for a couple in love in a relationship that is relatively mature. He is Spencer Matthew’s brother though, so hopefully that caddishness doesn’t run in the DNA!
Judi will also be offering her expert opinion as a celebrity relationship coach and analyst on Celebs Go Dating which will launch its second series next year. You can follow her work on Twitter .