She raised eyebrows when she was pictured without her engagement ring last week – and now Closer can revel that Kerry Katona has issued her fiancé Ryan Mahoney with a stark warning that she’s prepared to call off their wedding.
The former Atomic Kitten star – who’s been engaged to personal trainer Ryan since 2022 – is said to be fuming at her man after he failed to support her during her recent nose job surgery. Now insiders say that while the pair aren't over, they’re on a break as she battles with doubts about their relationship.
“Kerry didn’t wear her ring when she came out of the clinic because she wanted to give Ryan a reality check,” a source tells Closer. “She was really disappointed at his lack of support after her surgery. She’s so frustrated with having to flag that there are two of them in this relationship – and she needs supporting too.
“They haven’t split, but they are having a bit of a time out. Kerry’s told Ryan to buck up his ideas, or there could be no wedding.” Ryan is yet to respond to Kerry’s comments publicly.
Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Kerry wasn’t wearing her engagement ring when she was pictured leaving a clinic with her nose in bandages after recent surgery to repair her septum.
And last week, mum-of-five Kerry, 43, dramatically revealed she’d moved out of the home she shares with her fiancé and has been staying with her mum, Sue, as she recovers from the surgery – which she had to fix damage to her nose caused by years of previous cocaine abuse.
Kerry also said she’d felt disappointed that Ryan hadn’t been there to look after her following the eight-hour procedure, which involved using a piece of one of her ribs to reconstruct her nose.
She said, “I want to say a massive thank you to my mum, who has been my rock during the last couple of weeks… If I’m honest, I’ve felt more lonely than ever during my recovery. Ryan was away getting a tattoo in London when I went into hospital and I haven’t seen him since my surgery over a week ago.
“That upset me because it made me feel unsupported and I could have done with the emotional support… I really wanted to be looked after and have him here, but I had my mum instead.”
The I’m A Celebrity..! winner and Ryan first began dating after they matched on dating app Bumble in 2018. He proposed while on holiday in Spain in 2022, after asking her five children – Molly, 22, Lilly-Sue, 21, Heidi, 17, Max, 16, and nine-year-old Dylan-Jorge – for their blessing.
It seemed like Kerry had finally found happiness after her previous failed marriages to Westlife singer Brian McFadden, cab driver Mark Croft and the late rugby player George Kay, who died from a drug overdose in 2019.
However, insiders say that Ryan’s latest actions have left Kerry questioning their relationship.
“Kerry is the first to admit she knows there’s no such thing as Mr Perfect, but what she does want and need is security, trust and knowing that she is a priority,” the source says. “Relationships are hard at the best of times and Kerry absolutely adores Ryan, but she won’t stand for being second best.”
Despite her unlucky-in-love history, Kerry had been hopeful and determined to have her fairy-tale wedding and had already bought a dress for her big day with Ryan.
She said last year, “I’ve been with Ryan now for five years and I am an old romantic, I believe in that happily ever after. Just because it didn’t work out the first time, or the second, or the third time, does that mean I’ve got to be on my own for the rest of my life? No.”
But she added that she wasn’t in a rush to tie the knot again, saying, “Some days I really want to marry him and then some days I really really don’t!”
The source adds, “Regarding their wedding, Kerry isn’t in a rush to get married again until she knows Ryan’s priorities are firmly in the right place. She’s made mistakes in the past and isn’t in a rush to make any more – she’s made that clear. So for now, Ryan’s on the naughty step and time will tell as to when they will finally make it down the aisle.”