Hollywood star Ryan Gosling has left stunned mums "swooning and drooling" at the school gates, after making the move from Los Angeles to London. He and wife Eva Mendes swapped the sunny climes of Santa Barbara for Hampstead, where they have settled with their two daughters.

The 44-year-old, who originates from Ontario, Canada, reportedly fled the US to escape the country's political climate, in what has been jokingly referred to as the 'Donald Dash'. And now the heart-throb has been charming the women of the affluent area of North London, while he goes about his everyday life.

The family initially relocated while Ryan filmed for upcoming Star Wars film Starfighter. But they have set up home in the UK, where fans are expressing their delight at bumping into him.

A gobsmacked fan took to Instagram's threads to tell the world about their chance encounter with the star. They wrote: "Today's unexpected adventure, Ryan Gosling holding the door open for me at a cafe in West Hampstead.

"What a gent!... Quite unexpected really!"

Another local told the Mail: "Yes, he's here and so delightful chatting to everyone at the school gate - such a lovely man. And everyone can't stop talking about how good looking he is, the mums are practically drooling over him."

Meanwhile, the pair's largely private home life has been an ongoing source of speculation, with the couple remaining tight-lipped over their family. In an interview with the Times, 2 Fast 2 Furious star Mendes, 51, gave a rare insight into their move last year.

Oasis fan Mendes revealed: "We're in Notting Hill, so we have access to those communal gardens. Seriously, it's magical."

Although the couple never had a big reveal over their wedding, the signs were there. Mendes got a tattoo that read 'de Gosling' on her wrist in 2022.

When asked about the tat on Australia's Kyle and Jackie O Show, she revealed she had got it "years ago". "But who says we weren't already [married]," Mendes told People. "I like to keep it all mysterious. I'm a very mysterious woman."

But rumours were confirmed when speaking on Australia's Today show in 2022. Eva casually let slip: "Everyone is so welcoming here, and my husband Ryan is here, and we are having the best time."

The couple remained low-key when starting a family together. They welcomed their daughter Esmeralda Amada in 2014, with Mendes revealed to Violet Grey that the name was inspired by her favourite book.

People reports she told the outlet: "Ryan and I both love the Esmeralda character from the Victor Hugo novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and we just think it's a beautiful name." She added: "Amada was my grandmother's name. It means 'beloved' in Spanish."

Eva said that she and Ryan were also on the same page when it came to keeping their kids away from the spotlight as much as they can. She added: "Whether we like it or not, privacy is going to be very difficult for Esmeralda. I think it's unfair, but that's our reality. So Ryan and I decided early on to give her as much privacy as we could. And my pregnancy was the first opportunity to give her that. It's such an intimate time for the mother, too."

Mendes and Gosling's second daughter, Amada Lee, was born in 2016. "My grandmother's name is Amada, and Esmeralda Amada is the name of our oldest. We had a few names picked out for our new baby, and when she was born, we didn't feel like those names were her."

She added: "We came up with a few more, even that morning, and tried them out. We were like, 'What about Viviana?' But we just kept going back to Amada."

Ryan Gosling leaves mums swooning at school gates after moves to UK - The Mirror