Actress Katherine Kelly is gracing our screens once again in the gripping ITV thriller Protection, and it’s not just her acting that’s got everyone talking – her real-life beau is quite the TV sensation too.
In this nail-biting series, Katherine, 45, steps into the shoes of DCI Hannah Wheatley, a dedicated officer in the witness protection unit. Her job is never dull, but the stakes are raised when a protected family is found murdered, leading DI Liz Nyles, portrayed by Siobhan Finneran, to fear a mole within their midst.
Off-screen, the ex-Coronation Street actress is loved-up with Line Of Duty star Tony Pitts. The couple turned heads in November 2022 when they debuted their relationship at the Dancing with Heroes ball, although it was reported that they’d been in a relationship for “some time”.
(Image: ITV)
A source told The Sun: “They have kept their relationship out of the spotlight but have attended a number of events together this year including Royal Ascot and the ITV Palooza earlier this month. At the Dancing With Heroes ball Kelly couldn’t keep her hands off Tony and was stroking the back of his head all evening.
“They have met one another’s families and went on holiday together with their respective children earlier this year. Katherine is incredibly happy with Tony and it’s clear they are a really good match,” reports the Mirror.
Since then, Katherine and Tony’s relationship seems to have blossomed, with Tony frequently appearing in Katherine’s Instagram posts. Just this month, the couple attended the Cheltenham Festival together, posing for photos alongside Zara and Mike Tindall, as well as comedian Leigh Francis.
In August, the pair jetted off to Naples, Italy, for a romantic getaway. In one adorable photo, Katherine and Tony looked stylishly in sync, both wearing white outfits. Katherine stunned in a white broderie anglaise dress, while her actor beau looked dashing in a white shirt and trousers.
Fans flocked to the comments section to express their admiration for the couple, who both worked on the short film Affection. “Gorgeous photo of you both in white xx,” one fan wrote. “What romantic pictures,” another added.
Before her romance with Tony, Katherine was married to IT consultant Ryan Clark. The pair met in Australia in 2011 and tied the knot in 2013 at The Little Church of the West in Las Vegas. They welcomed their first child, Orla Kelly, in 2014, and their second daughter, Rose Christie, was born in 2016.
In a 2016 interview with You magazine, Katherine opened up about her relationship with Ryan, revealing how they first met. “I met Ryan at my best friend’s wedding in Australia. But he was with someone else and I’d only split up with my boyfriend of six years the week before,” she shared.
(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
“We became good mates first because he was part of my friend’s circle and I’d see him whenever I was visiting her. Then when I went back, he was single and so was I, so it was lovely to get together romantically at last.”
Reflecting on her wedding day, Katherine shared: “It was more emotional than I’d imagined – we both got pretty choked up. The wedding was totally us, though, and we still say it was the most fun we’ve ever had.”
Unfortunately, after seven years of marriage, the couple decided to go their separate ways in April 2020. “Katherine and Ryan have made the difficult decision to separate. They see it as a positive move for both of them and the separation is completely amicable. Their children are their top priority and they will continue to co-parent as good friends,” an insider revealed to The Sun at the time. Following the split, reports suggest that Katherine returned to her roots in Barnsley.
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