British Influencer Tasha Newcombe, 21, Defends Dating a 16-Year-Old

British influencer Tasha Newcombe is doubling down there's nothing untoward about her relationship with a teenager ... saying her 16-year-old beau doesn't act his age.

Tasha and her new boyfriend, Marko Vituk, hopped on "The BlueTick Show," where they addressed their 5-year age gap ... and clapped back at folks who felt she crossed the line by a mile.

As Marko put it ... Tasha first came on his radar after she liked a handful of his Instagram posts ... prompting him to slide into her DMs. Tasha didn't realize his age at first and was wary about continuing to talk after learning he was only a teen.

Marko said he was persistent, and convinced Tasha to go out with him ... so they grabbed a bite to eat and hit up the cinema.

Now, Tasha is happy she agreed to the date ... she defended their relationship, saying Marko acts more mature than other 16-year-olds. And this is important -- the legal age of consent in the UK is 16.

She added ... "I don't obsess over his age like everyone else does. Everyone else is so obsessed with his age, and they're like ... 'You like younger men.' It's like no, I just don't factor in his age."

Still, Tasha said she isn't in denial about their age gap ... she understands why people are weirded out by their romance. However, she doesn't appreciate being accused of grooming Marko ... as she emphasized he pursued her first.

Marko also hit back at the allegations he's being taken advantage of, noting on the pod ... "F**k that! I'm not being groomed."