Soulmates or roommates? Bumble BFF match leads to unconventional friendship

Two 25-year-old women who met on a friendship app have formed an unusually close bond, moving in together and sharing a bed just seven weeks after their first meeting.

Imogen Clarke and Estella Kyriacou matched on Bumble BFF, an app designed to help people find platonic friendships, after both moved to London and felt lonely. Clarke, a mortgage broker from elsewhere in the UK, and Kyriacou, a law student from Toronto, were seeking companionship in the city.

"We were both looking to meet new people on the app and find someone to share the everyday with," Kyriacou said.

The pair first exchanged messages in March and met in person four days later. They quickly formed a close friendship, signing a lease together less than a month after meeting and moving in on May 1.

Their living arrangement evolved to include sharing a bed, which began when Kyriacou spotted a spider in her room and sought refuge with Clarke. The arrangement stuck, with both women describing it as platonic.

"It sounds weird, but it's just like when you go on holiday with your friends, and you share a room and you just laugh and debrief the day before you go to bed," Clarke explained.

Their quick bond formed at a time when many young people are struggling with isolation, according to top health officials. Young adults seem to be hit hardest by loneliness - a recent study showed almost 80% of 18-24-year-olds felt isolated, while less than half of seniors reported the same.

The two women feel like they've found their perfect friend match. They're super grateful, knowing how tough it can be to build close friendships once you're out of school.

"It's so hard after university or school and being in the workforce, it's hard to click with people," Kyriacou said.

The women initially felt embarrassed about meeting through an app and told their families they met at the gym. They have since embraced their origin story and shared it with loved ones.

While acknowledging their case may be unusual, both women express happiness with their friendship. "I literally didn't know you could make a friend this great," Clarke said.