The true story of the woman who married a Kenyan tribesman

A British woman who abandoned her husband and three children to begin a new life with a Masai warrior in Kenya has shared her feelings of regret about her unique romance — and the emotional impact it had on her family.

Feeling trapped in her marriage

Cheryl Thomasgood’s story gained attention worldwide when she left her cozy suburban life on England’s Isle of Wight to pursue an unexpected love in a distant Kenyan village. But now, many years later, she’s revealing the truth behind what once appeared to be a fairytale.

In 1995, Cheryl was 34 years old when she met Daniel Lekimencho — a tall 6-foot-2 Masai warrior and traditional dancer who entertained tourists at a hotel in Mombasa. Their bond was instant and intense.

At that time, Cheryl Mason felt trapped in her marriage and was unhappy with her job as a hairdresser on the calm Isle of Wight, located just off the southern coast of England.

She thought that a week-long trip to Africa with a friend could help her think clearly and decide what changes she wanted to make. But Cheryl never imagined that a night at the hotel bar, where a group of tribal dancers was performing, would change her life forever. Even more surprising was that her life would be transformed by a Masai warrior — who was 10 years younger than her — living in a mud hut and spending his days hunting giraffes and lions.

“When I first saw him, I was amazed by how he looked,” Cheryl told The Province in 1998. “I realized I couldn’t live my life without him.”

“I had to make a choice”

After the show, Daniel came up to Cheryl and offered to take her on a tour of the Kenyan coast. What happened next was a fast-paced romance, with the two of them spending the rest of her vacation exploring the beach and enjoying their connection.

But when the trip was over, Cheryl had to make a tough decision: go back home to her husband and kids — or follow her heart into the unknown.

“He was so gorgeous, I had to make a choice,” she remembered. “That’s when I thought, well, what should I do – be practical and act like a happy suburban housewife, or start living the way I really wanted to?”

Within a few weeks, Cheryl had left her second husband, Mike Mason, along with their three kids, to be with Daniel, who was ten years younger than her.

Surprisingly, Mike, Cheryl’s husband, handled the situation really well. He acknowledged that their marriage had been weak for some time — and even went as far as selling his car to help pay for her trip back to Kenya.

Husband’s reaction

“Some people think I’m a bit of a pushover for this and that I should have kicked Cheryl out right away,” Mike said back then. “But there are kids involved, and I wanted us to stay on good terms. I have to accept that our marriage is over.”

In late 1994, Cheryl packed her things and moved to Kenya, where she settled into Daniel’s mud hut in the middle of rural Africa. For a few months, she tried to live the traditional Masai way — but the tough conditions soon became too much for her. The hot days and cold nights affected her health, and eventually, Cheryl got sick.

Wanting to go back to England to get better, she came up with a daring idea to reunite with Daniel: she sold her story to the media. The money from those interviews helped her pay for his flight to the UK.

When Daniel finally got to the UK, it was time for a big surprise.

The couple made a bold choice by getting married on Valentine’s Day in 1995, wearing traditional Masai outfits. But the authorities were not convinced about their marriage, thinking it was just a trick for Daniel to get citizenship. Because of this, he was sent back in 1995.

A few years later, the couple came back to the UK, raising their daughter Mitsi while trying to fit into life on the Isle of Wight.

The truth about their relationship

Their fast-paced love story made news and caught people’s attention back then—but as time passed, the fairytale seemed to disappear, and Cheryl’s story is quite different now.

Cheryl says that the truth about their relationship was nothing like the deep connection she thought they had. She now realizes that Daniel used her as a “meal ticket,” and after moving to England, he became obsessed with money and material things.

“I made a huge mistake, it was very wrong of me, and I have a lot of regrets, especially about how it affected my children,” Cheryl told MailOnline in a rare interview looking back on her “tormented” marriage.

She talks about how Daniel changed from the proud warrior she fell in love with in Kenya to a man who was unhappy with middle-class life, always wanting more—like a bigger house, fancy clothes, and money to send back to his family in Kenya.

“The only time Daniel seemed happy was when he was dancing in the garden doing his traditional Masai dance,” Cheryl remembered. “He would say he was preparing for battle and wanted to jump as high as an elephant. The kids loved it, but it started to annoy me after a while.

Difficult past

Even though she had high hopes, cultural differences and Daniel’s difficulties in adapting caused them to fight all the time, which led to their breakup in 1999 — just four years after they got married.

Cheryl also shared her tough past, saying she went through sexual abuse as a child and was dealing with trauma and an unhappy marriage when she met Daniel. A friend from the church choir encouraged her to go on a trip to Kenya that would change her life — but what she thought would help her heal ended up being a painful escape.

“The effect all this had on my kids. Having a Masai warrior as a dad was really hard for them. Daniel was doing his best, but he just couldn’t understand Western ways and wasn’t the father they needed,” Cheryl explained.

Her kids — Steve, 43; Tommy, 41; Chloe, 34; and Mitsi, 27 — have had to deal with the complicated results of their mom’s decisions, but Cheryl is proud that, despite everything, her relationships with them are still strong.

Now, 65-year-old Cheryl enjoys a peaceful life in a seaside town in Somerset, away from the spotlight and the drama of her past. She doesn’t plan to marry again after what she calls a “hattrick of disasters.”

On the other hand, Daniel still lives on the Isle of Wight, working in a supermarket — a big change from the proud warrior who once danced under the Kenyan sun.