LABELLED a prostitute, a home-wrecker and rejected by her husband’s family, Nikia Marshall’s entry into the travelling community hasn’t been easy.
The 22-year-old TikTok star, who’s originally from Doncaster but now lives in Slough, Berks, is a gorger, or settled person, and she’s married to “dyed in the wool gypsy traveller” Michael, 38.
10
WATCH THE FIRST EPISODE OF I MARRED A TRAVELLER EXCLUSIVELY ONFABULOUS’ YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Nikia met boxer Michael, who also owns a roofing company, at a professional fight two years ago, where she was working as a ring girl.
Now, they’re fronting I Married A Traveller, an exclusive, six-part YouTube series with Fabulous, revealing what it’s really like to bring their two worlds together.
The funny and open-minded couple will give a candid look into their lives from their relationship and dating to their lavish wedding to their finances and family rows to their home.
Nikia, who was a glamour model and is now a housewife, said that many traveller girls called her a “wantabe” and used other names like prostitute or home-wrecker.
10
10
“When I was living on a caravan site, I didn’t feel accepted. Every girl looked at me oddly because I wasn’t like them.
“I didn’t want to be the same as them, I have no interest in acting that way, I just was myself and a lot of people didn’t like that.
“It’s really difficult being married to a traveller, just because you get judged, looked at and talked about. It’s not a very nice community to be in as a gorger person.
“But on the other hand, I really like Michael’s ways and how he treats me, it’s nice and that comes from his traveller side. He respects me and loves me.”
WATCH THE FIRST EPISODE OF I MARRED A TRAVELLER EXCLUSIVELY ONFABULOUS’ YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Nikia and Michael, who wed 20 months ago, were both married and divorced before meeting – which is another source of contention.
She said that she was always viewed as the “disgraced” woman in the traveling community. He was married and divorced before I met him.
“I never ruined nothing, let’s just make that clear. So I don’t think the whole issue was me being a gorger, it was more the package Mike came with that made me unaccepted.”
I’ll tell you the truth, most travellers think of normal, settled girls as really easy
Michael Marshall
Michael admits there are misconceptions about settled people among travellers, especially when it comes to women.
He says: “I’ll tell you the truth, most travellers think of normal, settled girls as really easy.”
10
10
On the night the pair met, Michael wooed Nikia with Champagne bottle service, unaware she doesn’t drink, before trying to take the next step.
Nikia says: “It was a good night but at the end, Mike said, ‘come to my hotel’ and I was like, ‘no’. I wouldn’t even let him kiss me.”
Michael adds: “I thought, ‘oh this girl’s different, it’s unbelievable’. I just gave her one peck on the cheek. After that moment, I knew I wanted her to be my partner for the rest.
“Nikia is beautiful, and many men were talking to her up. But I don’t have any game at all and I think she liked that.
“A lot of travelling lads have mad game and they’re talking to loads of people, but I really don’t.”
Nikia says: “When I saw Mike, I thought ‘I’m going to get a lot of money out of you’. I genuinely thought I’d hit the jackpot.
“I know that might sound bad but I’m a young girl, I’m from Doncaster, it’s rough as s***, it’s horrible, and I’ve seen him walking around with a nice watch and jacket on, and thought, ‘hmm’.
“Then we went on a date and he was so geeky and intelligent. I thought, ‘oh no, I’m going to fall in love with this man’.”
‘He wouldn’t have had the balls to grab me’
As for Michael’s wooing technique, there was absolutely no ‘grabbing’ involved.
This was popularized by My Big Fat Gypsy Weddings (cult TV show that exposed teenage boys to girls who forced them to kiss them in cars).
Producers claimed it was a common “courting ritual” – but this has been denied by the community.
Nikia said that Michael did not grab her, and that it’s not something Michael does.
“I’ve never had it done to me, I don’t think it’s acceptable. Why should a man be able to grab a woman when it’s not even what she probably wants?
“That’s classed as sexual assault. Mike wouldn’t have had the balls to grab me.”
Some people in my family were like ‘no don’t be with a traveller, he’ll ruin your life, he’s too old’, because of our 16-year age gap
Nikia Marshall
Her husband adds: “It is a thing but only among different groups of travellers. I think it’s very outdated and more of a teenager thing.
“Truthfully, it’s not something I’ve ever done and I’d really look down on people who would do that.
“I wouldn’t like it if someone grabbed my sister and was trying to stick lips on her, it’s not something you do. It’s a different mentality.”
10
10
As for telling their families they were in love – it was a mixed reaction.
Nikia states that the ratio was 50/50. My mum was so happy for me, and my dad was absolutely thrilled.
“But some people in my family were like ‘no don’t be with a traveller, he’ll ruin your life, he’s too old’, because of our 16-year age gap.
“At the end of the day, it’s about who I love and who I want.
“Mike’s family don’t like me and I really don’t care, they never even gave me a chance.”
‘We get hate about my background and the age gap’
Michael adds: “I only told family members who really care about me, and they said, ‘lovely, I’m glad you met someone really nice’.
But travellers are very judgmental of everyone, even those who are well-off. Travellers feel they are the master race, and believe they have the “we know best” attitude.
“It’s that superiority that’s really annoying, especially to Nikia, because she’s become really successful now through social media.
“The biggest wave of hate from travellers is saying, ‘how can you be popular, you’re not a traveller?’ They really think they’re better than everybody else.
“As a traveller myself, once you let go of that mentality, you can really learn and get on in life.”
WATCH THE FIRST EPISODE OF I MARRED A TRAVELLER EXCLUSIVELY ONFABULOUS’ YOUTUBE CHANNEL
10
10
Despite the friction caused by their relationship, the pair insist there’s no rule blocking travellers from dating gorgers.
Michael states that it is permissible, but traveling parents will not tell their sons to marry a settled, normal girl. They’ll discourage them.
“A lot of young travelling fellas are really influenced by their mother. If a traveller takes a normal girl back to meet his mother, then she’s The One.”
Nikia adds: “And if he doesn’t take you back to meet his mum, then unfortunately you are the side thing. You’re not s*** to him.”
Travelling parents will tell their sons not to marry a normal, settled girl. They’ll discourage them. A lot of young travelling fellas are really influenced by their mother
Michael Marshall
When they first got together, Nikia and Michael lived in a caravan park in Oak Lane, Essex – but they’ve since moved into a rented penthouse flat in Slough.
Michael jokes that paying bills, such as parking tickets, congestion fee, gas, or council tax bills, is the worst part of dating a settled lady.
However, he admitted that it was not the best environment for him and his wife to settle down in their first home.
Nikia was criticized by all the travellers.
“Let me be clear, when you suddenly have to pay your bills, you feel the need to go and get yourself a nice trailer so you can travel as fast as possible.
“That’s the bad thing about being married to a normal, settled girl. But the good thing is she really keeps it in perspective for me. I don’t feel like I have to walk around being the Big Man.”
Traveller slang explained
Gorger: A non-Romani or non-traveller.
Grabbing: When a boy grabs an unmarried girl he wants to kiss, without permission.
Mush: Man.
Grunter: A mark, a rich man who’s an easy target.
Bure: Woman.
Cushty: Good.
Gammy: Bad.
10
Despite now living independently from the community, much of the hate has spilled into Nikia’s TikTok comments.
She adds: “There’s never a dull moment in our relationship. Mike brings fiery excitement into my life, which I love, I can’t lie.
“Honestly, it really makes me feel happy that people really hate me. That means I’m doing something good and productive with my life.”
Michael says: “I hate it when people are horrible to Nikia, I really don’t like it.
“But I think she handles the messages and comments she gets on social media like a G.
“You’d expect me as a traveller to go ‘argh’,” he says, raising his fists, “But I know she can handle her business.
“I’ve got Nikia’s back, she’s got mine, if someone’s got something bad to say about us, we’ll handle it as a couple. And if they’re supportive and nice, we’ll say thank you very much.”
We want to show we’re normal people and that a gorger and a traveller can love each other and live a normal life
Nikia Marshall
Nikia adds: “We like being transparent about our relationship, because me and Mike are really f***ing cool people and we want to show everyone that – our struggles, our highs, our lows, our great times and our bad times.
“We want to show we’re normal people and that a gorger and a traveller can love each other and live a normal life.”
You can follow Nikia on Instagram and TikTok. She also has her own beauty and fashion range, Red Hot Cosmetics, which you can shop here. You can also follow Michael on TikTok.
Check back next Tuesday for the next instalment of I Married A Traveller.