Inside Katherine Ryan’s private life with husband Bobby Kootstra, children and cancer struggles

Katherine Ryan confirmed her cancer diagnosis earlier today (Picture: WireImage) Katherine Ryan revealed she has been diagnosed with skin cancer for the second time after feeling ‘uneasy’ over a mole. In the latest episode of her podcast, the comedian, 41, confirmed her doctor had called her that morning with the news. On Telling Everybody Everything, she shared she has melanoma, 20 years after she was first diagnosed with skin cancer. During a visit to the doctors over a mole on her arm, Katherine was given the all-clear and told not to worry. ‘I know you should never google things but I’m actually really worried,’ she confessed. ‘Normally I’m that positive person. I think it’s really easy to take a diagnosis of “you’re healthy” and walk away.’ Here’s what we know about the comedian’s life away from the limelight. Who is Katherine Ryan’s partner? Katherine said she and Bobby Kootstra were focused on their children (Picture: Getty Images) Katherine entered into a civil partnership with her childhood sweetheart Bobby Kootstra during a ceremony in Denmark four years ago after rekindling their romance. Speaking about her relationship on the The Chris & Rosie Ramsey Show in 2023, she said: ‘We’re 40, we’re married and we’re very patient with each other, we communicate and we’ve lived these lives, but we have these f**king infants. ‘I think we’re good parents and we’re very privileged but it kicks the living s**t right out of you.’ What is melanoma As Katherine shared, melanoma is a form of skin cancer which is known to be particularly aggressive. It grows from the melanocytes, the cells which form melanin and give skin its pigment. Melanoma is known to grow quickly and can spread to other organs. Early detection — which Katherine has — is crucial in fighting it. While it is the most deadly skin cancer, survival rates have been improving and around 87% of patients live for over 10 years after diagnosis. Asked how often they have sex, she replied, according to The Daily Mail: ‘Not very often. I log it because I’m always trying to conceive! Day to day we’re back and forth about having more babies. ‘I will never allow him to get the snip! I just really love kids. Look, I’m 40 this year, we’ll see!’ How many children does Katherine Ryan have? Katherine and Bobby welcomed son Fred, two, and baby daughter Fenna Grace, who was born in December 2022. Katherine is also mum to Violet, 14, from a previous relationship. Katherine said her three children are a ‘blessing’ (Picture: UKTV) While she frequently shares the realities of being a mum, Katherine admitted previously to Metro that she regretted sharing her co-sleeping advice. ‘My children have enriched my life, they’re such a blessing and I would never trade them for anything,’ Katherine told Women Magazine. The Roast Battle icon continued: ‘But I would be lying if I said they didn’t ruin the life I had before. But I rebuilt a better one and that’s fine. ‘I would be pretending if I said that I could still do all the things that I could before and I think we’re selling this fantasy of what motherhood means if we aren’t honest about that.’ Katherine frequently speaks about parenting and her relationship on her podcast (Picture: Getty) In her comedy shows, Katherine has often joked about a wild youth which changed dramatically once Violet arrived and she became a single mother. Bobby previously admitted he wants his ‘sexy wife’ back in their bed as part of the family’s reality series Katherine Ryan: Parental Guidance. The couple use co-sleeping for their kids, as Katherine explained: ‘We’re both co-sleeping with someone. Bobby sleeps with Fred because I’m sleeping with Fenna. It’s really good for the children to have that.’ However, the confession garnered a lot of backlash from other parents who didn’t approve of the method. ‘I feel like, I really believe in it,’ the Duchess star told Metro. ‘I think that you respond to your children’s needs immediately, and you’re very patient with them learning to feed themselves and learning to walk. ‘But in a lot of homes, we’re not patient about them learning to soothe themselves to sleep.’ Got a story? If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.