Kirsty Gallacher, 49, reveals engagement hopes with boyfriend, 39, after divorce

After years spent raising her two sons as a single mum, TV and radio presenter Kirsty Gallachersays she’s finally found her “safe space” in partner Darren Clayton. The 49-year-old, who describes their relationship as being full of love, laughter and support, is also embracing her role as a “stepmum” – admitting her blended family home is “chaotic, but very, very happy”.

Kirsty and former rugby player Darren, 39,met in 2023 through mutual pals Gabby and Kenny Logan. And as she chats to OK!, it’s clear that Kirsty is completely smitten – not just with the strapping sportsman, but also with his eight-year-old daughter. “Having Darren’s daughter in my life, it’s nothing but wonderful,” she beams. “It’s my first time being a ‘stepmum’ and I love it. She is the best girl and also mad about animals, which is lovely for me.”

There are certainly no “wicked stepmother” vibes about Kirsty, who is mum to Oscar, 18, and Jude, 15, from her marriage to ex-husband Paul Sampson. But she recognises that single motherhood “hasn’t always been an easy road”, so it’s understandable she is now relishing the presence of a supportive man in her life.

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“I know it sounds cheesy, but he’s just my safe space,” she says. “He helps me with everything, he’s my sounding board and he makes me laugh a lot. I’ve never been myself with anybody more than I am with him.”

Crucially, Kirsty says Darren has slotted seamlessly into her family unit. “He is a fantastic father and ‘stepfather’,” says the star. “From the moment I met Darren, I knew he was the right person for me to be with. He’s perfect for us. He’s into sports, he’s nurturing and kind, he’s everything I could ask for. My children idolise him.”

In fact, Kirsty says that winning her boys’ approval was always going to be a dealbreaker. “Children don’t ask for divorced parents and I would never, ever be with someone who wasn’t right for them too,” she explains. “I am a mother first and foremost and I take that role seriously. I would die for my children.”

With her relationship in such a good place, we can’t help wondering if wedding bells could be on the horizon?

“I think we would love to be engaged, but married? It’s such a hard one, because we are so happy right now. Why would we change that?” she tells us. “But do we both think it would be nice? Yes, of course – and we’re both on the same page with that.”

The star first found fame in the late 90s as a Sky Sports presenter, before going on to front TV series including Kirsty’s Home Videos, The Games and BBC reality show Only Fools On Horses. Following a health scare in 2021 – when she was diagnosed with a benign tumour in her inner ear canal – Kirsty is now thriving as the host of Gold Radio’s weekday drive-time show.

With more than half a million listeners tuning in each week, the show is a huge hit. But as a self-confessed “people-pleaser”, Kirsty has to avoid pushing herself too hard. “If my battery starts to run low, my anxiety creeps up,” she explains. “I’ve learnt that I need breaks, because I can get myself onto a sort of hamster wheel – and then my energy drops and it’s not good.”

When it comes to anxiety, Kirsty says she takes after her dad, the renowned Scottish golfing pro Bernard Gallacher. “I am quite like my dad. He’s a perfectionist, as am I,” she admits. “I can overthink every single thing and get worried. But I think when you’ve been a single mum, you have to be a control freak. If you’re not in control of everything, who else will be?”

Something else Kirsty won’t ease her grip on is her animal welfare campaigning, which she admits is “exceedingly emotional and exceedingly hard”, but worth it.

She wants, first and foremost, better education surrounding meat production so consumers can make more informed choices. “We do so many things right in this country, but there’s so much more to do, and I can’t stop campaigning until we’ve done it,” she says. “When you’ve seen some of those awful things I’ve seen, you can’t unsee them. It’s the very least I can do while I’m on this planet. If I have the ability to make a change, I will.”

She’s candid, too, about regrets. Despite her many career successes, including a regular stint on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, her time on Strictly Come Dancing in 2015 wasn’t as glittering as viewers might have assumed. “I wasn’t in the best place personally,” she says. “I’d just got divorced, there was a lot of trauma there, so I probably regret saying yes that year. But I would’ve loved to have done it another year when things were more settled. I was just really struggling with my personal life.”

Now, as she approaches her milestone 50th birthday, Kirsty looks and feels better than ever. But is she dreading the big 5-0? “I’ve made peace with it – by this point, I couldn’t give a monkey’s!” she laughs. “My ducks are in a row, as much as they can be, I’ve got a wonderful partner and a wonderful family. I’m healthy. I feel better than ever.”

Kirsty is certainly in a better place than she was four years ago. The star was co-hosting GB News’ breakfast show when she was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma – a benign tumour in her inner ear which caused “severe tinnitus” and meant she couldn’t hear properly.

“It makes me emotional talking about it actually,” says Kirsty, who plans to have radiotherapy treatment to manage the tumour later this year. “I went pretty much deaf, went to my GP and asked if it could be a brain tumour. It was a horrible, horrible moment, but I want to talk about it so we all feel less alone. I feel for anyone else going through that. It’s so worrying and it’s not easy navigating it day-to-day.”

While a wedding may not be on the cards right now, Kirsty and Darren are planning a celebration of a different kind to mark their birthdays.

“He’ll turn 40 in December, then a month later I’m turning 50, so we’ve laughed about having a 90th birthday party,” she says. “No one would know we’re 10 years apart and it doesn’t bother either of us.”

Listen to Gold Radio Drive with Kirsty Gallacher, weekdays, from 4pm

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