Katherine Ryan has expressed her desire to have a fourth child with her husband Bobby Kootstra, despite acknowledging the challenges they face due to their age.
The 41 year old former Celebrity Gogglebox star and comedian delves into topics such as sex, feminism, fertility, fashion, facelifts, and motherhood in the second season of her popular U&W show At Home With Katherine Ryan.
Following a successful first season that showcased her life as a working mum, the new episodes delve deeper into her relationship with Bobby, including taking him to therapy sessions.
However, the former Masked Singer star also visits a fertility clinic to discuss the possibility of expanding their family, reports the Mirror.
Aware of the declining fertility rates, especially after 40, Katherine remains hopeful, stating: "It's not that surprising that over-40 women have fewer follicles than we once did," and adds, "But we talk a lot about male fertility as well, which is on a steep decline. But I would still like a fourth baby. We are so blessed to have the kids that we do have. Having children is not for everyone, but I personally really like making people. I think it's a superpower, if you can do it."
In contrast to Katherine's outgoing nature, Bobby is notably less vocal, a trait that their marriage coach highlighted during a session where Katherine was taken aback to realise she often speaks over her husband.
Reflecting on this, she admits: "At first I thought, 'That's nonsense, he just doesn't speak that much'," but acknowledges: "But it's true... I was interrupting him."
Not every husband would be open to marriage therapy, especially when it's filmed and broadcast on television, but Katherine found Bobby to be "very amenable".
She adds: "You have to say 'coaching' or boys get scared. I never saw myself as someone who'd get married. It wasn't an aspiration of mine for a lot of my life, and all of a sudden I reconnected with Bobby and we got married straight away."
Their first five years of marriage have been intense. There have been two babies, three miscarriages, a pandemic and, for Katherine, two national tours.
On top of that, Bobby moved to the UK from Canada, became a stepdad to Katherine's 15 year old daughter Violet and left a career, family and friends to be a house husband. "It's been a busy five years and it's really important to check in before there are any problems," says Katherine, who happily admits she's also mining her life for comedy.
Katherine continues: "My job in stand-up is to hold a mirror up to my audience, and hopefully they think I'm funny because they see themselves in my experiences."
Katherine and Bobby first dated when she was 15, before rekindling their romance in 2018 when she returned to Canada to film a BBC show.
In the second series of At Home With Katherine Ryan, it's not just their marriage that gets a check-up – Katherine also takes Bobby to see an intimacy coach about their sex life, which is being stymied by having a teenager and two toddlers at home.
Kamasutra expert Seema Anand isn't just disappointed with the frequency of sex, but also the lack of variety.
Katherine reveals that they have sex "about five times a month," which is above the national average of three.
She explains that it's not due to lack of desire, but rather the constant presence of their children in the house. "It's like when we were teenagers, because we used to hide from our parents and have to get creative. Now we have to hide from a teenager and get creative," she says.
On the show, they're encouraged to try new things like listening to erotic audio together, but Katherine isn't keen. "Absolutely I'm still vanilla in the bedroom," she admits.
"I have no interest in games or props or toys or audio erotica. We had no idea how prudish we actually were about sex until we invited the intimacy coach into our lives."
For Katherine, the thrill comes from sneaking around like teenagers and her favourite missionary position. "Maybe the brevity and danger of the way we have to have sex is enough," she ponders.
"I think a lot of the British viewing public are navigating the same issues. They probably want to have sex but maybe they've just eaten or they can't be bothered or they're too tired and they're just not as willing to talk about it as much as we are!".
Katherine believes her relationship with Bobby isn't on the rocks, but she warns of a "poisonous toxin" lurking in partnerships. “People will argue about finances or sleep," Katherine observes: "But I think under-appreciation is a real bad one, and that leads to a lack of respect and that's the beginning of the end.”
She emphasises the importance of appreciating your partner, stating: "Bobby and I have different strengths and different skills and we have different roles in our house but it's really important to make sure your spouse feels appreciated."
Growing up during the 1990s and early 2000s, she was caught up in the push to be both independent and alluring. However, her take on feminism has evolved.
While still passionate about fashion, she now chooses outfits for herself rather than to appeal to men. "As a young woman, I wanted to be pretty, I wanted to subscribe to the male gaze," she shares.
"Not only did I want to be pretty, I wanted to be sexy, I wanted to get breast implants, I wanted to work at Hooters, I wanted to be nice, I wanted to be a cheerleader... I wanted to be well-liked because the message from the girlband generation was that you would have the happiest life if you ticked those boxes."
"As an older woman and as a mother," she realised that looks are fleeting, insisting, "beauty is a depreciating asset and that there are far more admirable qualities that a woman can have in her very rich and varied life."
In her latest TV series, viewers will get a glimpse of Ryan in her two signature styles. She says, "I have one of two looks," explaining her fashion choices.
"I either look super sparkly and glam or I look like an elderly rapper in some type of luxury tracksuit with no makeup on. I actually love having no makeup on."
She adds, "I dress for myself and for women, and I take risks in stand-up, just like I take risks in fashion. I love doing that. It's part of self-expression."
Katherine may not be as preoccupied with her appearance as she used to be, but she admits she's open to more cosmetic procedures in the future.
Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
She even surprised her 64 year old mother Julie with a facelift.
"It could be received as a slam," Katherine concedes when discussing the potential pitfalls of giving such a gift. "But again, our family is so transparent, we know a lot about each other and what each other wants. It's lonely to look in the mirror and no longer recognise yourself. And I just knew my mom would like a facelift."
After witnessing her mother's transformation, Katherine is tempted to undergo the procedure herself someday.
However, Bobby has reservations. "Rightly, Bobby views any surgery as an unnecessary, very small, risk to your life," she remarks.
Despite his concerns, Katherine knows that Bobby's love is unconditional. "Bobby has always loved me for who I am. We were together pre-Botox, pre-fame, pre-breast implants. He doesn't love surgery, but if it's something I really wanted, if it made me happy, he'd support me. Through gritted teeth."
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletterhere.
English (US) ·