Katherine Ryan’s husband is Bobby Kootstra, a Canadian television reporter whom she first dated as a teenager before reconnecting nearly two decades later. Despite being widely referred to as her husband, the couple entered a civil partnership in Denmark in 2019 rather than a traditional marriage. Together they share three children and live in London.
Who Is Bobby Kootstra?
Bobby Kootstra was born in Canada in 1982 and works as a television reporter in the broadcast industry . He and Katherine Ryan grew up in Sarnia, Ontario, and attended the same high school, where they became teenage sweethearts. Their young romance ended dramatically when Kootstra broke up with Ryan on prom night .
Following their split, the two lost contact for approximately 20 years. During that time, Ryan built a successful career as a comedian and moved to the United Kingdom, while Kootstra remained in Canada and pursued work in broadcasting. Their separation lasted until a chance social media connection brought them back together.
How They Reconnected
The couple’s reunion began in 2018 when Ryan returned to Canada to film an episode of the BBC genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? . While in Toronto, she posted on Instagram about going to a pub with her sister, instinctively sensing that Kootstra would see it and show up. He did .
What happened next became a story Ryan has shared repeatedly. She described their reunion as a one-night stand that went “horribly wrong” because it immediately led to pregnancy and a lifelong commitment . Speaking on Davina McCall’s Begin Again podcast, Ryan explained that she thought it would be “funny” to sleep with him, and it was, until it wasn’t .
Kootstra texted her the following day expressing his desire to have children and get married. Ryan became pregnant “very quickly,” and the couple’s future was sealed within months of reconnecting .
Their Civil Partnership
In December 2019, Ryan and Kootstra traveled to Denmark to enter a civil partnership . The decision to skip a traditional wedding was deliberate. Ryan has been candid about her reasoning, telling The Jonathan Ross Show that she did not need to put on a white dress and pretend to be a virgin, adding that “that ship has sailed” .
Despite not having a conventional marriage ceremony, the couple refer to each other as husband and wife in public life. Their civil partnership occurred approximately nine months after they reconnected, cementing a relationship that had reignited with remarkable speed .Quick Bio: Bobby Kootstra
Notes: Some fields, including education, years active, awards, and net worth, could not be verified through authoritative public sources. Bobby Kootstra maintains a relatively private profile compared to his wife, Katherine Ryan.
Family Life and Children
Katherine Ryan and Bobby Kootstra have three children together. Their son Fred was born in June 2021, followed by daughter Fenna in December 2022 . Their third child, daughter Holland Juliette Kootstra, arrived on October 18, 2025 . Kootstra announced the birth on Instagram, writing that Holland was the “Patrick Mahomes of child birth” and praising Ryan’s “greatness” during the delivery .
Ryan also has an eldest daughter, Violet, from a previous relationship with a Canadian comedian she met on the comedy circuit . Ryan has spoken openly about Violet’s father being a “no-contact parent” who never paid for anything or made sacrifices for their daughter . She has never publicly disclosed his identity.
The family lives together in London . Ryan has discussed the challenges of balancing a large family with her career, noting that parenting “really tests your relationship” and that couples cease to be the most important people in each other’s lives once children arrive.
Public Comments and Challenges
Ryan has been notably candid about the realities of her relationship with Kootstra. She has joked that she does not fully trust him because of how he treated her at sixteen, despite loving him deeply. The couple has also navigated significant challenges, including a traumatic home burglary in 2019 when a knife-wielding intruder confronted Kootstra .
During that incident, Kootstra chased the burglar out of their home and tackled him in the street, where the man pulled a knife and threatened to kill him. A passing police car ultimately intervened . Ryan has said the experience left Kootstra unable to sleep for a week.
Ryan has also been open about fertility struggles, revealing in 2024 that she had suffered three miscarriages in five years before welcoming Holland . She and Kootstra explored marriage therapy and fertility treatment during their reality series, discussing the challenges of conceiving after age 40 .Frequently Asked Questions About Katherine Ryan’s Husband
Is Bobby Kootstra Katherine Ryan’s husband or civil partner?
Katherine Ryan and Bobby Kootstra entered a civil partnership in Denmark in December 2019, rather than a traditional marriage . Despite this legal distinction, the couple refer to each other as husband and wife in public life. Ryan explained on The Jonathan Ross Show that they chose this route because she did not need a wedding or to “pretend to be a virgin” .
How did Katherine Ryan and Bobby Kootstra meet?
The couple met at high school in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, and dated as teenagers before Kootstra ended things on prom night . They lost contact for roughly 20 years until Ryan returned to Canada in 2018 to film Who Do You Think You Are? . Ryan posted on Instagram about going to a Toronto pub, and Kootstra showed up .
How many children do Katherine Ryan and Bobby Kootstra have together?
They share three children: son Fred, daughter Fenna, and daughter Holland Juliette Kootstra, who was born on October 18, 2025 . Ryan also has an eldest daughter, Violet, from a previous relationship . The family lives in London.
What does Bobby Kootstra do for a living?
Bobby Kootstra works in the broadcasting industry as a Canadian television reporter . His specific role and employer are not publicly known. Outside of his career, Kootstra is known for his keen interest in lawn care, which Ryan has humorously credited with shifting her social media messages from explicit content to gardening questions .
