"It really upset me." Megan Gale is not happy with the people who label her a "cougar".

For a celebrity couple, Megan Gale, 40, and Shaun Hampson, 27, maintain a relatively low-key public profile. But there’s one aspect of their relationship that has always attracted attention – their 13 year age difference. And, understandably, Gale is not happy about the reactions it’s garnered.

“When we started together there was a lot of criticism because of our age difference, which kind of upset me. I think if he was older than me we wouldn’t have so many people commenting on it. It seemed to me that because I’m the woman and I’m older that there were labels thrown around – ‘toy boy’, ‘cougar‘ – that really disappointed me,” the model told The Weekly Review.

“For me our ages are irrelevant. I really do feel like we’re both really on par with one another.”

While some some unfairly branded the couple as “a bit ‘flash in the pan'”, Gale says the strength of their four-year relationship and their gorgeous one-year-old son River is proof of the contrary. (Post continues after gallery.)

“We both knew what we meant to one another and I guess that’s all that matters. And now we’ve got this beautiful little man that we’ve created together and he’s the centre of our universe. We communicate well and I think that’s why we’ve got such a strong relationship,” she said.

The Mad Max star says the pair make a good team, describing Hampson as “amazing… kind… thoughtful and an incredible father”.

But that’s not to say becoming a parent was all smooth sailing.

“Best thing I’ve ever done. Hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s the most rewarding thing,” she said.

In an interview with The Glow last year, Gale said that becoming a mum had turned her life upside down.

"It’s amazing. It just happens. You think ‘How can you not have a shower?’ but it’s the last thing you think about. So the baby goes down and the first thing I need to do is sit down and pump [milk]. That takes ages. So you do that, you put it in the fridge. Then you’ve got to do dishes, then you’ve got to do washing. Everything’s a mess, and then it’s just like, OK, the baby’s up again. It’s just a constant cycle and it just happens," she said.

"But I’ve got a great man by my side - he contributes so much."

And while she loves being a mum, she says she'd never give up her work completely.

"I don't want to do anything else but be with him because I enjoy it so much and I want to be so present with him and I want to be hands-on. But at the end of the day... I think it's really important to have something for myself as an individual," she told The Weekly Review.

"I want to continue to provide a great future and life for him. It's important to me to still work not just for myself - and I love what I do - but for my son."

What's the most important lesson you learned when you first became a parent?