Tinder’s ‘most wanted’ man finds love after 9 years — and she was ‘offline the entire time’

Stefan-Pierre Tomlin spent nine years searching for love on Tinder. At the height of his popularity, he was called "Mr Tinder" and matched with thousands of people, over 48,000 right swipes in total, as per The Mirror. But after nearly a decade on the app and more than 15 dates that led nowhere, Tomlin says the love he’d been chasing came when he wasn’t looking for it at all. The 34-year-old model and pilot joined Tinder in 2015 and became a sensation by 2017.

On his most active days, he admitted to spending over three hours a day scrolling. "I was getting 40 matches a day on Tinder and had to mute the app. Since then, online dating has never really worked for me," he said. His experience echoes a broader trend. A 2023 survey from Radboud University (n ≈ 1,043, ages 18–34) found that people who used mobile dating apps reported lower satisfaction with their relationship status compared to non-users.

Despite his fame, the right connection never materialized. His dates led to four relationships, none of which lasted. As his reputation grew, the quality of conversations declined. "It’s just become a game where people swipe on me just because of who I am," he said. But that changed in October 2024. On a spontaneous night out with friends at a bar in Soho, Tomlin saw someone across the room who took him by surprise. "She was wearing a fitted black dress and looked super fun. We made eye contact and both smiled while crossing paths," he said. The woman was Vicky Batsford, a 43-year-old finance manager from Essex.

They exchanged numbers that night and became friends. Things moved slowly at first, and Batsford had no idea about Tomlin’s Tinder identity until she Googled him. "At first, it was a massive eye roll. But after a few more drinks over the following weeks, we chatted more, and I found him incredibly interesting. He soon swooned me over," she said. Tomlin, who also runs a matchmaking company called Celebrity Love Coach, said meeting Batsford changed everything. "I swiped right on her in real life. She stole my attention straight away, and everything was easy and natural with her," he said. He added that not being recognized helped the relationship grow naturally.

The two have now been together for nine months and recently made their relationship official, and are also planning to move in together soon. "Meeting Vicky, I knew things would be different. She’s organized, humble, and saw me beyond the Mr Tinder façade. She’s the perfect woman for me, and I’m completely off-limits now," Tomlin said. Batsford acknowledged their differences, but said they work well together. "We come from very different worlds. I’m way more structured and disciplined, and he’s a lot more spontaneous," she said. Tomlin echoed the sentiment, saying, "Despite everything, we’ve found this really great balance. Marriage is definitely in the future. She truly feels like the real deal."

His dating journey also inspired him to help others. Since launching his matchmaking business in 2021, Tomlin has helped pair 52 couples. He said, "The dating world is always changing and it’s easy to lose hope. But there is love for anyone who is willing to put themselves outside their comfort zone. Things are different now with my new partner, and we live a stable life. It’s something I’ve never had before. But I’m willing to keep it for as long as I can."