WHEN Jade Smith met gorgeous lab technician Lauren Thomas two years ago, she was gutted to discover she already had a boyfriend.

So a year later, when they matched on Tinder, the 22-year-old pharmacy assistant was hoping Lauren, also 22, was now single.

But she was shocked to hear Lauren was in a polyamorous relationship - looking to meet a third partner to share between herself and boyfriend Matthew Fowler, 24.

At first she was unsure, but now Jade's been in her throuple for almost a year - even moving in with the couple in Newcastle, Australia, where they all share a bed and have sex together.

The unconventional set-up has not been without its difficulties though, with Jade being bombarded by trolls since going public on social media.

Speaking exclusively to Fabulous Digital, she revealed: "Some people called us weird and others sent me dirty messages, saying I was sex mad and a lesbian.

"It was horrible, people should be free to love whoever they want.

"When we hold hands and kiss in public, people do stare at us or they look really confused.

"I never imagined I could feel this way about two people at the same time, but I do."

Some people sent me dirty messages, saying I was sex mad and a lesbian

Jade Smith

Most people go out of their way to avoid love triangles, with Tommy, Maura and Lucie all trying to stay well clear in this year's Love Island.

But polyamory is becoming increasingly mainstream within society.

It's different from swinging, where couples meet for recreational sex with others, and means every person in the relationship is committed to one another.

Jade first met Lauren at Comic-Con, where they were with mutual friends, in June 2017.

But she was gutted when Lauren revealed she was committed to shop assistant Matthew - until she matched with her on Tinder in June 2018.

She said: "I recognised her straight away and I wondered whether she and her boyfriend had broken up.

"Lauren remembered me too, so we arranged to go for coffee a few days later.

The three of us made love together, and we share the same double bed every night

Jade Smith

"When I saw her, all of my feelings rushed back. Lauren and I talked for hours.

"She explained she was still with Matthew but that they were polyamorous, and believed in having more than one partner at the same time.

"I was really intrigued."

A month later, the two women admitted they had feelings for each other and Lauren suggested Jade should meet Matthew.

She said: "I still wasn’t sure about being in a polyamorous relationship, but I knew I was crazy about Lauren so I agreed to meet him.

"Matthew was really handsome and I loved his beard.

"As the three of us cuddled on the sofa, I kept wondering whether I could go ahead with being with two people.

POLYAMORY EXPLAINED

Based on the Greek and Latin words for 'many loves', a polyamorous person is someone who is in an open relationship - with the consent of everyone involved.

It's not technically cheating and is different from swinging, where couples meet for recreational sex with others outside their relationship.

Everyone within the couple - be it a throuple (three people), poly quad (four people) or more - is commited to one another in a poly set-up.

There's a whole community, both online and in real life, where people can meet others open to a poly relationship.

"I'd never even considered polyamory, it was new to me.

"In the end, I decided to just go for it, and the three of us slept together. It felt right and normal."

For the next month, Jade saw Matthew and Lauren every night and they became an official throuple in September.

Jade said: "Things moved really quickly and, just weeks later, they told me they loved me.

"I was over the moon to have not one, but two special people in my life. I felt the same about them both."

Just a month after committing, in October, Jade moved in with Matthew and Lauren.

She said: "The three of us made love together, and we share the same double bed every night. They made me feel so special and loved."

When we hold hands and kiss in public, people do stare at us

Jade Smith

But Jade felt forced to keep their relationship a secret from her family.

She said: "My dad is very traditional, and I was worried he wouldn't accept us.

"I finally plucked up the courage to tell him after I’d been with Lauren and Matt for six months.

"I called him and told him I was in a relationship with a man and a woman.

"There was a long silence, then he asked: 'Are they treating you right?'

"I told him they were, and he said that was all that mattered and he was happy for me.

"I was so relieved. Thankfully, Lauren and Matthew's family were accepting of me too.

"Their families were surprised, but they could see how great the three of us were together."

After opening up to their families, Jade started sharing pictures online with the hashtag #polyamorous - but didn't expect the backlash against her.

She said: "I was forced to block mean trolls. It was really upsetting.

"Lauren and Matt explained how some people just didn't understand.

"I realised they were right and decided to ignore the abuse.

"The trolls tried to make us feel ashamed, but they failed. I'm proud of being polyamorous.

MOST READ IN REAL LIFE

"Lauren, Matt and I have been together for almost a year, and we are so happy.

"Our friends and family think we are great for each other.

"I know polyamory isn't for everyone, but that's OK.

"It's definitely unusual but I couldn't imagine it any other way. We have triple the love in our house."

We previously spoke to a mum who ditched her husband of 11 years to date two men and a woman – now they all share a bed and have sex together.

Polyamorous couple open up about their unusual relationship on This Morning

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErKynZpOke7a3jp%2BYm62cpMK0e5hvbW1vZWt8tLTAq5xmmpWZeqi10aWdq6GVo7Furs6ynauhlaOxbr%2FEsWStp5eawamx0Wg%3D