Last week, Rylan Clark revealed that he is “happy” and “content” with a new partner, who he has been secretly dating for several months. During his recent BBC Radio 2 show, the 36-year-old couldn’t help but gush about his new beau, who has also had the seal of approval from from his co-stars.
Rylan initially confirmed his new romance on his How To Be In Love podcast, and further confirmed his desire to start a family with his mystery man. This new thriving chapter in the presenter’s life comes following a turbulent time in his love life.
As the former X Factor star graces the screens on This Morning show all week, we delve into the past candid revelations about his love life.
Dating fears and and romance rumours
Before finding his new partner, the presenter admitted that dating was a struggle, especially due to his celebrity status. In a chat with Bella Magazine, he confessed: “I find it a lot more difficult because of my job. It can be tricky to know what someone wants from me.
“But what am I going to do, die alone with cats? I’m allergic to cats! You’ve got to put yourself out there.”
Back in 2022, fans believed Rylan had found love again with Declan Doyle after they were spotted kissing, but he later shut down that it was anything serious. After this encounter, he announced that he was single and had joined the celebrity dating app Raya, in the hope of having “fun” and taking things slow with a potential partner.
Later in his BBC travel documentary, Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour, he revealed that he’d been on two dates over the past two years, but confessed nothing materialised for different reasons.
Reports have also suggested that there could be potential romantic link between him and co-star Rob Rinder, which he recently dismissed. Addressing these rumours on his BBC show last week, he clarified: “There’s all these fake news stories about me and Rob Rinder – we’ve gotten married and all of this. Rob’s my friend. I adore him.”
Marriage and divorce
Rylan’s best known relationship was with his ex-husband Dan Neal, a former Big Brother star, who he was married to for six years. The couple, who have previously co-hosted This Morning together, divorced in 2021 after Rylan admitted to being unfaithful.
In his 2022 memoir, Ten: The Decade That Changed My Future, Rylan the host confessed that he had cheated years before admitting to his mistake, not expecting that Dan would leave him.
“I have no excuses for what I did way back then, but I had my reasons. I think for many years I had felt a bit like an imposter,” he wrote. “That nothing I was doing was right or not quite good enough.
“There were times when people told me this, and so confirmed my own self-doubts. And you know, when it’s those closest to you giving you this feedback, of course you take it to heart.”
After confessing to his infidelity, Rylan said Dan told him “it was over” and left. “You’re not surprised? I get that. But I couldn’t believe it,” he penned.
Career break and health decline
Rylan stepped away from his work commitments for four months after his marriage collapsed, as his body “completely shut down”. The TV personality revealed he was hospitalised during this period after making two attempts on his own life.
“I wouldn’t eat. I went through a stage where I couldn’t even talk, which for some people might be quite handy,” he revealed on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast. “My speech was just slurred. My mum thought I was having a stroke.”
Looking back on this difficult chapter in an interview with The Sunday Times, Rylan reflected: “It feels like a different person now, that I’m talking about. I did not know who I was for that five months, but yeah, I did [try to end my life] – unsuccessfully, luckily. I genuinely felt like the world was against me.”
Speaking about cardiac issues he also faced during this time, he explained: “I went into this thing called SCT [Supraventricular tachycardia], where my heart rate was way over double. And it just wouldn’t stop.”
Struggles with fame
While Rylan’s health deteriorated following his marriage breakdown, the broadcaster believes his hectic work schedule didn’t help with matters. Speaking previously on the High Performance podcast, he explained: “I think my marriage ending was the catalyst for the machine stopping.
“But actually, it was nine years of never stopping and never having time to breathe and actually understand what happened to me. For five months I just stopped and shut down. I tried to take my own life. I tried to do it twice.”
Rylan shot to stardom on the X Factor in 2012 and has since flourished in the entertainment industry. His impressive portfolio includes hosting duties on This Morning, Big Brother, and Dating Naked UK.
The presenter credits Big Brother for transforming his life, believing he wouldn’t have achieved his current success or met his former husband without the show. Rylan landed his presenting role after appearing as a contestant on the Celebrity edition.
“It gave me a career. It then gave me my husband and gave me the life I have now,” he revealed to iNews. “Without Big Brother, I don’t think any of this would have happened. It was the best apprenticeship I could have asked for.”