Sparks started flying when they competed against one another on Dancing On Ice.
And now Ricky Hatton has revealed he and his girlfriend Claire Sweeney still get on ‘like a house on fire’ after the couple returned from a romantic trip to Tenerife.
The public have watched the unlikely relationship between former boxer Ricky, 45, and the Coronation Street actress, 53, go from strength to strength in recent months.
The couple’s sun-soaked Tenerife getaway came just weeks after they made their red carpet debut in Manchester.
When was asked by The Sun how their holiday went, Ricky replied: ‘It was great! Claire is like me, I’ve met someone who I get on with like a house on fire.
Ricky Hatton, 45, says he and Claire Sweeney, 53, get on ‘like a house on fire’ and marvels and how alike they are as the two return from a romantic trip to Tenerife
The relationship between the former boxer and the Coronation Street actress has been going from strength to strength since they met on Dancing On Ice in January
Ricky said of Claire: ‘I’ve met someone who I get on with like a house on fire. She is just like me. We spend our whole time laughing together. Claire is just like me – she’s so down to earth’
‘She is just like me. We spend our whole time laughing together. Claire is just like me – she’s so down to earth.
‘She would never turn a picture down with a fan and she’s always got time for people. That’s what I really like about her. We’ve just been having good fun.’
An insider revealed recently that Claire is planning to introduce Ricky to her family, including her nine-year-old son Jaxon, whom she shares with her ex-partner Daniel Reilly.
A source told MailOnline: ‘Claire and Ricky have become really close. She wasn’t looking for a relationship but then Ricky came along and it just felt right and natural and she’s really happy.
‘She signed up for a reality TV show and met a great guy so it feels a bit like winning the lottery, and she’s really counting her blessings as it all came from nowhere and often that’s the best way.
‘She’s now really looking forward to introducing Ricky to her family and friends soon and they are really looking forward to the guy who has put a smile on Claire’s face.’
A source told the Mirror: ‘The chemistry was electric. Ricky went out of the show early on but he contacted her afterwards and let’s say he started wooing her.
‘They’ve been out on several dates. Saturday was just one in a long line of them. They’ve been seeing each other quite a bit. He is completely besotted.
Ricky continued: ‘She would never turn a picture down with a fan and she’s always got time for people. That’s what I really like about her. We’ve just been having good fun’
A source previously said: ‘She signed up for a reality TV show and met a great guy so it feels a bit like winning the lottery, and she’s really counting her blessings as it all came from nowhere’
On Dancing On Ice, Ricky was paired with female skater Robin Johnstone and was sadly the first to be eliminated
‘It seems like an unlikely match but he’s always had a way with women. They fall for his personality, and Claire has. He knows her number one priority is her son so they are being very careful. Let’s watch this space.’
On Dancing On Ice, Ricky was paired with female skater Robin Johnstone and was sadly the first to be eliminated.
Claire was paired with male skater Colin Grafton and followed Ricky just two weeks later, the third celebrity eliminated. However, it wasn’t all bad news as Ricky had already began pursuing her.
Prior to Ricky, Claire hadn’t been on a date since Christmas 2023 and joked she may be following in her grandmother’s footsteps – Claire alleges she didn’t find love until she was 86.
Claire’s last long-term romance was with Daniel Reilly, with whom she shares son Jaxon, 8. The pair split in 2017.
Claire was paired with male skater Colin Grafton and followed Ricky just two weeks later , the third celebrity eliminated. However, it wasn’t all bad news as Ricky had begun pursuing her
