A woman whose husband died at 57 has launched a dating app for widowers craving no-strings-attached sex. Nicky Wake, 51, from Bury, Greater Manchester, lost her husband Andy in April 2020 to Covid after he suffered a catastrophic brain injury in 2017.
After six months of widowhood, Nicky tried dating but found it like the 'Wild West', with few understanding her situation. In November 2022, she launched Chapter Two, a dating app for widowers seeking committed relationships. However, she noticed many were not ready for commitment but craved physical comfort, leading her to create WidowsFire for casual hookups.
Nicky explained that 'widow's fire' is a well-known term in the widower community, describing an intense desire for sex after bereavement. She said: 'You lose your life partner... If you have a healthy sex life, that is going to be a gaping void.' The app aims to be a 'fun and flirty, non-judgemental place' for widows and widowers to satisfy physical needs discreetly.
Nicky met Andy in 2002 on DatingDirect.com, married in 2004, and had a son, Finn, in 2007. After Andy's heart attack and brain injury in 2017, he required round-the-clock care until his death. Nicky said the app offers a first step for those 'dipping their toes back into the complicated world of dating' without full commitment.
