Succession actor fell in love with her 'best friend' during lockdown - here's how to exit the Friend Zone

Watch: Succession star Sarah Snook opens up about falling in love with her 'best friend' in lockdown.

Succession star Sarah Snook has revealed that she fell in love with her best friend during lockdown, going on to propose and then marry her long-term pal.

During an appearance on Monday's This Morning the Australian actor, who plays Shiv Roy on the hit series, opened up about how her friendship with actor Dave Lawson turned to romance, which culminated in the couple tying the knot in February.

Host Phillip Schofield started the conversation about the relationship, stating: "You were in lockdown with your best friend and had been best friends for a long time... who you are now married to."

He went on to ask whether Snook was the one to propose, to which the 33-year-old replied: "I did propose."

Schofield continued: "You just thought, that's it, I'm not going to wait anymore?"

A laughing Snook responded: "Yeah, it was that or nothing. I was like, I gotta be in. I'm all in and I'm all here."

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Speaking previously about her friendship turned relationship, Snook recently told Vogue Australia: "At the beginning of the pandemic last year, I got locked down in Melbourne with one of my best mates, and we fell in love.

"We've been friends since 2014, lived together, travelled together, always excited to see each other, but totally platonic."

But during lockdown Snook revealed that things fell into place romantically.

"We've just never been single at the same time," she told the publication. "It's been a ride. There's so much heartache and sadness in the world, but on a micro personal level, I've been very fortunate."

Snook certainly isn't alone in seeing her friendship flip into something altogether more romantic, in fact recent research, from the University of Victoria, Canada, has revealed that around two-thirds of couples start out as platonic pals before ending up in a relationship.

“When a platonic friendship develops into a romantic relationship it can be a surprising, exciting and beautiful thing," explains Amanda Major, Head of Service Quality and Clinical Practice at Relate.

"You already have the foundations of that friendship together. You probably know some of the person’s strengths and weaknesses and you know you get on – certainly as friends - so it can mean things move more quickly than if you were getting to know somebody for the first time."

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Despite the many benefits of crossing the romance line, Major says there can also be some hesitancy not only because it can be hard to go back if you do, but also because the friendship dynamic is likely to be different.

"It can also affect the dynamics of your friendship group so that’s another thing to consider," she adds.

"But the risk of not pursuing something romantic is that you might miss out on a really healthy and fulfilling couple relationship."

If you are considering the prospect of moving from the platonic to the romantic a good thing to ask yourself, according to Major, is how much you genuinely like this person romantically.

"If you just see it as a fling and the person is clearly more into you, consider their feelings before acting," she warns.

"If you think there could be something more you may want to give it a try, but taking things slowly and perhaps waiting until you know it’s serious to announce it.”

While there's no doubt moving a relationship out of the friend zone can be a beautiful thing, there's still lots to consider.

From navigating that tricky initial awkward period, to having sex with your mate, here's some expert-backed tips on switching from pals to partners.

Discuss changing boundaries

While you're used to being friends, getting together romantically means boundaries will inevitably change. "It’s important to discuss how much time you both expect to be spending with one another - will it increase or stay the same since you’ve progressed your relationship?" says Lauren Cook-McKay, marriage and family therapist from Divorceanswers.com.

"Often, people have different expectations of their partners in relationships in terms of time spent together, so it’s important to ensure you’re on the same page."

Navigate the tricky awkward transition

Going from being friends to being romantic partners can be a scary prospect as it's not what you're used to. "You may find the initial few weeks are a bit awkward but that is not uncommon as you're trying to navigate this new form of relationship," explains relationship expert and psychologist Tatyana Dyachenko.

"My advice is to take it slowly. There is no rush, just enjoy the process and let things unfold naturally. As you're likely already very comfortable in each others company that should help things along. Try not to put any pressure on them to have all the answers, remember this is all new for them too."

Dyanchenko also suggests trying not to forget why you liked each other in the first place. "You were friends for a reason so don't lose sight of that as the relationship progresses," she adds.

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Make sure you're both on the same page

It's incredibly important to establish whether you're both on the same page when it comes to your relationship. "Ask them what they expect out of the relationship and how they see it unfolding in the future," suggests Dyachenko. "Tell them your thoughts on it too. The more you talk about it the better."

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Remember what is at stake

Dating your best friend is not the same as dating a stranger. "If something goes wrong in the relationship you run the risk of not only losing your partner but also your best friend," explains Dyachenko. "Before you take the leap spend time thinking about whether this is truly what you want."

Make time to have 'proper dates'

As you were already friends it's likely that you have already spent time doing things together such as going to the cinema or going to a restaurant. Now you have to ramp it up slightly by making these outings more like dates than nights out with a mate. "You have to retrain your mind to think date rather than hanging out with a mate," explains Dyachenko. "This may include things like spending longer on getting ready so you feel really good or taking along a small gift. Even a single rose would suffice."

Navigate the bedroom

Having sex might feel strange, and once it’s done, there’s no going back and your friendship will never be the same again! "You’ve probably been attracted to one another for a while, but acting on it is a very different matter," Cook-McKay adds. "Be assured that feeling like this is normal, and take your time making the transition."