THE LATEST HOOK-UPS, MAKE-UPS AND BREAK-UPS
CLAIRE AND RICKY’S SHOCK ROMANCE
Claire Sweeney seems to have found love again – with boxing champ Ricky Hatton!
The Coronation Street star and the retired sportsman were spotted looking affectionate on a night out in Manchester recently, and are said to have “grown incredibly close” after meeting on Dancing On Ice earlier this year.
Sources reveal that the new couple have been on several dates since DOI filming wrapped, and are now even planning a romantic holiday together. “Things have become serious quite quickly and they are just really enjoying each other’s company and seeing how things develop from here,” an insider says. “They are also discussing possibly going on holiday together in the summer, which will see their relationship go to the next level.”
Sources reveal that Ricky’s sense of humour won over mum-of-one Claire, 53. “That’s what attracted her to him initially. He constantly had her in hysterics and they grew closer after that,” the insider adds.
Friends of Ricky, 45, are said to be delighted with his new match too. The dad-of-three has recently been linked to Playboy models but hadn’t found The One. “Ricky’s had a roller-coaster lifestyle in the past. He still likes a drink and a laugh, but he’s back on track and open-minded to settling down,” a source says. “That’s why his friends and family are delighted someone like Claire has come along. They think it could be just the right moment for them both and everyone just wants them to be happy.”
PRO GREEN’S SPLIT
It’s all over for Professor Green and fiancée Karima McAdams, with sources saying the couple have parted ways three years after welcoming their son, Slimane.
The rapper, 40 – whose real name is Stephen Manderson – and actress Karima, 39, have called off their engagement after realising that things aren’t working out for them.
“Stephen and Karima broke up some months ago now and are trying to move on with their lives. They are both devoted parents to their little boy but, as a couple, their relationship has run its course,” a source says. “Stephen is focusing on his music and building the best life he can for their son.”
The couple started dating in 2019 and got engaged two years later. “I call you my gorgeous thing. Loving me isn’t always easy, but you are always gorgeous,” he said. The rapper – who previously wed Made In Chelsea’s Millie Mackintosh (now married to former co-star Hugo Taylor) also got Karima’s name tattooed across his chest, over his heart. He hinted at struggles of parenting during the Covid lockdown, saying, “We’ve been stay-at-home parents, which comes with a who
