Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez work well together because they "appreciate each other".

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez

The 'World of Dance' judge and the 43-year-old former baseball shortstop have been dating for over a year, and they believe the key to their success is down to the fact they've both been through similar things in their lives which have helped them to understand one another in a way no-one else can.

Alex said: "We're in our forties. We're both from New York. We both come from Latino backgrounds. We both have two kids. I think we've both been through a lot and can really appreciate each other - both the good and the challenges."

And Alex - who has Natasha, 13, and Ella, 10, with his former wife Cynthia Scurtis - has even admitted he doesn't believe their relationship would have worked if they had met in their 20s.

Speaking on the 'Today' show, he said: "To be honest, if this happened when we were in our twenties, it would have never happened. It was just too much craziness. I wasn't mature enough. You know, boys, we got to get our dumbness out of the way."

Alex's comments echo similar ones made by 47-year-old Jennifer - who has 10-year-old twins Max and Emme with her former husband Marc Anthony - earlier this week, when she said timing was everything when it came to falling in love with her beau.

She said: "We were both at a good place in our lives. And I think, maybe if we had met in our twenties, it wouldn't ... you know, maybe not so much. We're too crazy. But now, at this point in our lives, where we both have kids and we both accomplished certain things in our careers and we're kind of in that second act of our lives, we really complement each other."

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