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Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lee Ryan's colourful love life: From celebrity engagements to explosive love triangles, a secret love child and even a threesome with bandmate Duncan James - as he prepares to welcome sixth baby
He's just announced he is set to become a father for the sixth time, as he prepares to welcome his fourth child with his now wife Verity Paris. And while the couple are living an idyllic life with their three children over in Spain after moving overseas three years ago, Lee Ryan's love life hasn't always been so conventional. From celebrity romances to rumoured flings, love triangles and even a secret love child, the singer's love life has been colourful to say the least. Back in his Blue heyday, the star was linked to a number of women - including Atomic Kitten star Liz McClarnon and even American star Caprice. He looked to have found love with hairdresser Samantha Miller with whom he welcomed his first child, however the news of a secret love child and assault charge led to a rollercoaster relationship and bitter split. On screen too Lee hasn't held back after he became entangled in a messy love triangle during his time in Celebrity Big Brother after a series of passionate smooches. While he has even admitted to threesomes with his bandmate Duncan James, it seems now the star has mellowed and settled down for good. Liz McClarnon Enjoying a number of high profile romances, Lee was previously engaged to Atomic Kitten star Liz McClarnon in the early 2000s. The pair had dated on and off for two years and Lee popped the question in 2003 as they got swept up in the relationship bubble. However they split shortly after amid allegations that Lee had slept with a lap dancer and Liz saying she didn't like dating a fellow celebrity. Yet Lee insisted he was the one to call things off, saying later: 'It just wasn't right any more.' Opening up about their split, Liz told Closer: 'I'd never date another celebrity again. I was engaged to Lee and I didn't like having our relationship in the spotlight. 'For me, it leads to paranoia. You read things about each other and wonder who said what.' Caprice In 2004 Lee sparked romance rumours with model Caprice Bourret after it was reported they were secretly dating. The Sun revealed that the pair met at a London club and the model reportedly told friends she and the Blue singer were in love. A close friend allegedly told the paper: 'She's really happy at the moment. She's been gossiping with friends about how she's going out with Lee but that it's meant to be secret. 'She said she thinks they are in love and she's very excited about the relationship, although it is in the very early stages.' As well the American singer, Lee has also been linked to former models Alicia Douvall and Stephanie Saunders. Samantha Miller In 2007 Lee met Samantha Miller on MySpace after she posted a number of sexy snaps on his page. Samantha was reportedly a devoted fan of Blue for a number of years and recently told the singer's friends that she had a poster of him on her wall when she was a teenager. After reportedly describing her as 'well hot,' his friends and family were then stunned when he revealed at his 25th birthday party that Samantha was pregnant. However the pregnancy was by no means smooth sailing after Lee broke up with the future mother of his son five months into her pregnancy leaving her 'devastated'. The couple later reunited but then suffered a tumultuous engagement punctuated by public arguments - one of which saw Lee throwing money at Samantha outside a Mayfair hotel. Their relationship suffered another blow when it emerged that Ryan had fathered a secret love child in 2007. Lee and Samantha welcomed their son Rayn in 2008. However the couple suffered a bitter break-up in 2010, after Lee was charged with physically assaulting Samantha. The singer was charged with assaulting Samantha after allegedly hitting her as they drove through London's West End. The charge was withdrawn that month at the request of his partner. A spokesman for Ryan told MailOnline at the time: 'Lee 100 per cent denies common assault. He categorically did not hit Sammi and will be fighting these charges in court'. Later in 2019 Lee reflected on his failed relationships and low points of his life as he told the Daily Mail: 'I shouldn't have lost the family life I had with my ex-fiance, Sammi, and our little boy, Rayn. He's ten now and we're really close again. 'But I neglected the relationship so it's only relatively recently that he's been able to see functioning co-parenting, something my mum and dad never achieve. 'I also have a daughter, Bluebell, who's 11. These are key ages for my kids so I'm working as hard as I know how to make memories with each of them that will last. They're my priority for the next few years.' Jessica Keevil Lee fathered daughter Bluebell with Jessica in 2007, prior to his relationship with Samantha, after the pair met in a night club. After a number of dates Jessica revealed she was pregnant and Lee broke off the relationship and began dating Samantha. While Bluebell was born in 2008, just a few months before Rayn, Lee didn't undergo a paternity test until a year later which confirmed he was the father. Lee's relationship with Jessica's family has been troubled, and he has defended himself against accusations of failing to pay child support in the past. In 2011 Bluebell's grandmother Jane Stowell called Lee a 'terrible dad' and told The Sunday Mirror: 'Lee's been a nightmare. Jess has had to battle to bring their daughter up all by herself. 'It's as if his own child is an inconvenience to him. Every time we ask for help he ignores us.' However the Blue songwriter slammed the claims and insisted he had been paying for his daughter and disputes between his family and Jessica's have meant that seeing his daughter had been difficult. A spokesperson for the singer told MailOnline at the time: 'Lee has being paying constant regular maintenance to Jessica Keevil for the last year and a half, ever since he found out Bluebell was his child. 'In fact Lee transferred money into Jessica's account only last week. Any suggestion that he has not is complete fabrication.' He added: 'In addition Lee held a birthday party for Bluebell's at his sister's house in June last year. 'With regards to access to Bluebell, there has been an ongoing dispute in 2011 between Lee's family and Jessica's family, which has made visitation rights awkward. 'Lee takes his role as father of Bluebell very seriously and is saddened and upset that her family feel the need to make such statements in a public arena.' Casey Batchelor and Jasmine Waltz Ever the lothario, Lee was also embroiled in not one, but two romances during his time in the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2014. The star found himself caught in a love triangle with both Casey Batchelor and Jasmine Waltz after kissing both girls. While Lee was chained to glamour model Casey before he entered the house, he appeared to lead Casey to believe he wanted to give their relationship a go before secretly spending the night with Jasmine. Lee and Jasmine spent the night in the UFO out of sight of Casey who was kept in the house, and the devious duo were seen kissing under Lee's bedsheets and then disappearing to the bathroom together for quite some time. He later explained to Casey about their 'bedtime cuddles' and said he wanted to cool things off because he didn't want a relationship in the house, and didn't want to be perceived as a player. He said: 'You know they're all talking about us. I was worried about the way people would perceive us. I came in single.' When Casey questioned if it was just a house relationship for the singer, he said: 'No, well, I didn't want anything. I love cuddling and being with you. Everyone else is making an issue about it. I'm not trying to say anything, but I don't want us to be any different with each other.' Later after Jasmine was evicted, she came back into the house to confront Casey about her behaviour with Lee. During the scene, Jasmine snapped: 'Hi Casey, I have a few things to say to you. When Lee and I got together he said he really liked me and saw you as a friend. 'As soon as you left you threw yourself at him. It's quite embarrassing really. 'You deliberately went out to hurt me. I've had to sit at home and watch this. Putting your t**s in his face and saying how horny you are and that you can't wait to have sex with him.' Duncan James Lee has also sensationally revealed that he had threesomes with his bandmate Duncan James, who is openly gay. He told New: 'Me and Duncan had threesomes! We did some crazy s**t with each other. In the past we've done some s**t like that. 'It's not just high five each other. I think they call it a spit roast.' Although Duncan rubbished claims of a gay fling with Blue band-mate Lee, he did admit to having threesomes. Lee made the admission during a candid chat with feisty American Jasmine Waltz and former Apprentice finalist Luisa Zissman in the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2014, telling them: 'Yeah I've been with a man. Everyone's done experimentational s***. I'll tell you later.' He added: 'Of course, man. I'm a well-traveled person. I've never admitted it anywhere. No-one's bothered to ask.' Duncan tweetes at the time: 'Still laughin at this mornings claims. Every1 knows about the 3somes but its never gone beyond that. I mean I love Lee but not THAT much.' A source also told The Sun: 'Lee has an incredibly intense relationship with Duncan. He feels he is the only person in the world who truly understands him. 'They love each other and it's true they've been intimate over the years. They're completely comfortable with each other and still go on holidays together.' Lee also revealed he was happy for Duncan after he came out as gay in 2014 after previously identifying as bisexual. He explained: 'It's his business. And he told me eventually... He seems so much happier now. He feels like he's just cool, man. 'I saw him the other day and he was really happy. I love him to bits. He's like a soulmate, a brother. He looks like he has a weight off his shoulders.' In 2022, Lee was accused of transphobia after becoming embroiled in a vicious spat with a drag queen on Instagram - and later revealed he was bisexual. The singer sarcastically commented on gender identity, posting to his 172,000 followers: 'I might start identifying myself as an alien / star / seed / indigo child. Anything but human. Please respect my wishes.' After the post, drag queen Layla Zee Susan - real name Sammy Shepherd - challenged him for his 'insensitive' comments with Ryan launching a foul-mouthed attack on Layla. Discussing the fallout with The Sun, Ryan furiously denied claims that he was transphobic or homophobic, saying: 'I'm bisexual and my bandmate is gay - I would never disrespect anyone like that. 'I normally ignore things like that but it's like somebody calling me racist when I'm not. Duncan's constantly dressing in drag, he's gay, Blue has a big [gay] following - so this really upset me. 'Some of my best friends are gay. I didn't say one thing about him being in drag.' Laura Anderson In 2019 Lee was spotted out on a date with Love Island star Laura Anderson as they enjoyed an fancy evening at Sexy Fish in Mayfair. However nothing came of the romance and Laura went on to welcome a baby with her now ex Gary Lucy in September 2023. Verity Paris Lee and Verity were first linked back in January 2020 before enjoying a loved-up holiday together in February 2022. Verity - whose real name is Verity Morley - is an Ariana Grande impersonator who starred on the X Factor in 2009. Recalling how they first met, he said: 'We first saw each other at a Christmas lights switch on when I was promoting and Verity was a performer, and we met backstage. 'A few weeks later, we went on our first date and we bonded over our love of food – sushi, on that occasion. The first time I knew she was the one was on our second date. We picked a Christmas tree and danced around my living room to John Legend.' On Thursday Lee revealed the pair are expecting their fourth child together as he shared a photo of himself cradling his wife's bump with the playful caption: 'Oops we did it again. 'Baby number 4 on the way to add to our lovely little family! Another vibe to join the tribe we are truly grateful ps…. Check out little Elton John by the piano!" The couple enjoyed a lavish wedding ceremony in Seville last October - two years after their secret legal ceremony in Gibraltar. He moved to Spain three years ago to start a family with Verity, 34, and the couple said 'I do' at a registry office in 2022. After missing out a big wedding day with their family and friends due to the pandemic restrictions, the couple celebrated their nuptials with a fairytale wedding in Seville on 7 October, with all his Blue bandmates in attendance. Describing the special day to OK!, Lee admitted he cried at several points during the day, saying it 'felt like a dream'. The couple's three children all played roles in the ceremony, with their daughters being flower girls, while Lee walked down the aisle carrying their newborn son to a string quartet playing Time by Hans Zimmer. Gushing about his wife, he admitted he knew she was the one on their second date and that 'she saved my life', while describing the moment he saw her in her dress, 'it took my breath away'. When the couple first tied the knot two years ago, Lee told The Sun: 'I met someone finally who loves and supports me in everything I do. 'Verity is a beautiful, strong and loving woman who I treasure, and I'm a lucky man to have such a wonderful mother for my child, and now wife in her. 'I've never been more calm and grounded and I have Verity to thank for that. I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life because of the wonderful family life I now have.' The couple moved to a beachfront apartment in the Costa del Sol in 2020 with the duo admitting that they now have a 'better quality of life' and 'new lease of life'.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Blue's Duncan James is left heartbroken as he pays tribute to 'kind' uncle after he dies peacefully at home
Duncan James has shared a touching tribute following the death of his beloved uncle Alistair. The Blue singer, 47, who rose to fame in the early 2000s with bandmates Antony Costa, Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe, revealed the sad news in an emotional Instagram post. 'Yesterday, we said goodbye to my dear uncle Alistair - the kindest, gentlest soul you could ever hope to meet' he wrote. 'A true eccentric and a proper gentleman, full of life and personality. He loved nothing more than being out on the sea with his boat and enjoying a good beer.' Duncan added: 'He passed away peacefully at home, and he leaves behind a huge space in the hearts of everyone who knew him. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The singer, clearly heartbroken, also shared a childhood nickname for Alistair: 'He will be deeply missed, always remembered, and forever loved. 'RIP uncle Alistair. Or uncle eye eye I used to call you as a kid.' Fans were quick to flood the comments with messages of support penning: 'Im so sorry, sending you and you mother so much love ✨' 'Oh this is so heartbreaking. You can tell from his eyes he was a beautiful soul. May he rest in peace. Sending all my love to you and your mum at this very sad time Dunk ❤️' 'So sorry for your loss… ❤️ A huge hug to you and your family' 'I am so sorry for the loss of your Dear Uncle Eye Eye Sending my deepest condolences and much love to you and the family' It comes after Duncan has been busy celebrating some huge milestones in his life during the first half of the year. In April the boyband singer turned 47 and celebrated six years with his partner Rodrigo. 'A true eccentric and a proper gentleman, full of life and personality. He loved nothing more than being out on the sea with his boat and enjoying a good beer' Fans were quick to flood the comments with messages of support and pass on their love to Duncan, his mum and the rest of their family Despite the pair meeting in November 2018, it wasn't until April 2019 when their 'journey officially began'. In a poignant video shared to his Instagram a song called 'meu abrigo' could be heard playing over the top. Duncan explained that translated to English it means 'my shelter', and conveys love and protection and being there for one another through life's challenges, which he said reflected their relationship perfectly. To celebrate, the singer planned a getaway to a hotel in London, where he surprised the flight attendant with a room full of balloons, banners and cake. Duncan also into a new home and kicked off an arena tour with Blue who are supporting Olly Murs, as well as a holiday to New York. Earlier this year he also celebrated his daughter Tianie's 20th birthday. The singer and reality star was in a relationship with model Claire Grainger from 2002 and although they broke up in 2005, she gave birth to a daughter in February of that year. Duncan paid tribute to his daughter with a carousel of sweet images. He gushed in his caption: 'Happy 20th birthday, my beautiful bright shining star Tianie! 'Watching you grow into the amazing young woman you are today fills my heart with joy. 'I'm so proud of you, and all you have so far achieved and can't wait to see all the incredible things your future holds.'
The Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Devastated Blue star plays heartfelt tribute to his ‘gentleman' uncle after he dies peacefully at home
A HEARTBROKEN Blue star has paid a poignant tribute to his 'gentleman' uncle after he died peacefully at home. Duncan James, 47, shot to fame in the early 2000s alongside Antony Costa, Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe in Blue. 3 Taking to Instagram, the singer paid tribute to his uncle Alistair, who has passed away. Duncan penned: "Yesterday, we said goodbye to my dear uncle Alistair — the kindest, gentlest soul you could ever hope to meet. "A true eccentric and a proper gentleman, full of life and personality. "He loved nothing more than being out on the sea with his boat and enjoying a good beer. "He passed away peacefully at home, and he leaves behind a huge space in the hearts of everyone who knew him. "He will be deeply missed, always remembered, and forever loved. "RIP uncle Alistair. Or uncle eye eye I used to call you as a kid." A fan commented: "Oh this is so heartbreaking. You can tell from his eyes he was a beautiful soul. "May he rest in peace. Sending all my love to you and your mum at this very sad time Dunk." Another added: "I'm so sorry for your loss. May he rest in peace." Watch moment Duncan James reveals surprise over Claire Sweeney's Ricky Hatton romance A third said: "Sending you lot's of love and hugs xxx." While a fourth remarked: "Oh Duncan I'm so sorry. "May he rest in peace. Love and condolences to you and your family." A fifth shared: "I'm so sorry for your loss, D. I've been through something similar recently and it was really hard." Elsewhere, Duncan's daughter Tianie Finn celebrated her 20th birthday earlier this year. He paid tribute with a sweet post on his Instagram grid page as she celebrates her huge milestone. Duncan posted a compilation of images of his daughter's life alongside a gushing caption. It read: "Happy 20th birthday, my beautiful bright shining star Tianie! "Watching you grow into the amazing young woman you are today fills my heart with joy. "I'm so proud of you, and all you have so far achieved and can't wait to see all the incredible things your future holds." 3
Glasgow Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Blue star Duncan James shared love for Glasgow ahead of Hydro gig
The singer and actor, Duncan James, best known for being part of the 2000s boy band Blue and starring as Ryan Knight in Hollyoaks, described the city as "beautiful." The post comes as Blue is supporting Olly Murs in his gig at the Hydro in the city's West End today, May 22. (Image: PA) READ MORE: Legendary band announce UK tour leg - with only one Scottish date In a video posted to TikTok, he said: "Everyone, I just want to take a minute to appreciate how beautiful it is today in Glasgow. "The sun is shining, the top is off, the water is glistening, Glasgow is beautiful." The star captioned his post by writing: "Glasgow appreciation post! Beautiful day here! Love Bonny Scotland!" READ MORE: Exciting new flight route launches to holiday hotspot from Glasgow Airport Fans quickly flocked to the singer's comment section. One person wrote: "It's taps aff in Glasgow!" Another added: "See you all tonight at Hydro, can't wait. You were my sister's favourite band when she was younger, and she has passed away. "I am glad that I get to see all you boys for her, as she never got to see you all." A third chimed in: "Can't wait to see you on stage tomorrow night."
Daily Mirror
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Forgotten Eurovision entry from beloved Brit boy band dubbed 'reckless insanity'
Over 10 years ago, a British boy band, selling over 15 million records worldwide, came back together in hopes of taking the Eurovision Song Contest by storm, but it didn't quite go to plan... The final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will burst onto our screens tonight, ready to dazzle us with outrageous costumes, catchy yet cheesy songs, and a voting system that often leaves the UK near the bottom of the leaderboard. But one year, there was a beloved boy band eager to make their mark in Eurovision and bring home the glory for the nation. Yet, the decision was branded 'reckless insanity'. Back in 2011, Duncan James, Simon Webbe, Lee Ryan and Antony Costa of the popular boy band Blue had high hopes of securing some seriously big points when they represented the UK at Eurovision. The noughties band, who took the nation by storm with their huge hits, 'All Rise', 'One Love', 'Too Close' and 'Guilty', felt confident that their success would follow suit at Eurovision and the UK wouldn't be faced with the humiliating 'nil points'. Confirming their Eurovision news, Duncan revealed at the time: "We're celebrating our 10 years together in 2011, so when the BBC approached us it seemed a great way to mark the occasion and also to be part of something which is still a British institution." Simon added: "I've always wanted to represent my country, so this is a truly exciting experience for Blue." They entered the contest with their track 'I can', and Simon expressed his optimism at the time, stressing that he didn't expect political undercurrents to undermine Blue's mission to recapture the Eurovision title. "I'm not getting nil points," he declared confidently. "We'd like to say that the Eurovision is not about the political side, it's about music and what music does is bring a wide audience of people together from different genres of music. People just want to have fun on the night and we're hoping politics won't get in the way." However, their choice to represent the UK was quickly criticised, partly due to the novelty acts often featured at the annual competition. In contrast, the band, who were formed in 2000, had sold more than 13 million records, won two Brit Awards and had secured three UK number one singles by the time they entered Eurovision. Blue had parted ways in 2005, pursuing solo careers, only to reform in 2011 for their Eurovision debut. But their former manager, Daniel Glatman, who helped form the group in 2000, described their decision as "reckless insanity". Daniel said: "They will have to win. Anything less and their reputation would be in tatters. "It is the equivalent of Lewis Hamilton entering a go-kart race - he will be the strong favourite but there is also the possibility he could lose. So why risk it?" Meanwhile, Eurovision executive producer Phil Parsons at the time described Blue as "real pop stars who have superb vocal ability, have great on-stage presence and can really deliver on the night in Dusseldorf." He added: "We have a highly credible act who have had a string of smash hits in this country and they've also been hugely successful around Europe too. There's a lot of genuine affection for them here and abroad." Blue performed their song 'I Can' at Eurovision in 2011, which was held in Germany, Düsseldorf. Lee had described the song as "very powerful and very strong", ideal for making a splash at Eurovision. On the night, their song, written by members Lee and Duncan, was received with enthusiastic applause despite what BBC host Graham Norton tactfully described as a "tentative start." When voting began, Blue scored highly and briefly topped the leaderboard. But they were swiftly overtaken by other countries. They ended up in 11th place after clinching 100 points. Instead, the winners were the small nation of Azerbaijan with the romantic duet 'Running Scared', performed by Ell and Nikki. But it wasn't all bad news for Blue, as their score was 10 times more than Josh Dubovie's, who represented the UK the year before. In that same year, Blue had also been up against Irish contenders Jedward, armed with what Lee characterised as a number infused with a 'Britney-esque' vibe and an American pop sensibility. "I like Jedward, they're funny," Antony shared before the competition. "As long as we can go there and give 110%, I'll be happy with that." The twins finished in 8th place with their rendition of 'Lipstick'. After the scores came in, Blue's former manager, Daniel, brutally said the group would now be remembered as the band that "flopped at Eurovision". "As I said before, if Blue didn't win Eurovision then their reputation would be in tatters," he said. "But I did genuinely hope that they would receive more votes than they did. "It was a sad night for the band because they have gone from being a 'massive boy band who sold 14 million records' to the 'band who flopped at Eurovision'. That is, unfortunately, how history will remember them now."
