Katherine Ryan defies husband Bobby Kootstra's wishes with extreme facelift plans

Katherine Ryan and her husband Bobby don't disagree on many things - but her penchant for cosmetic surgery has left them at odds. Ahead of the second series of her show At Home With Katherine Ryan, airing on U&W, Katherine Ryan reveals she's recently bought her 64-year-old mother Julie a facelift as a surprise. “It could be received as a slam,” acknowledges Katherine when asked about the risks of gifting cosmetic surgery. “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 seeing the results, Katherine is keen to have one herself when the time is right. However, Bobby Kootstra isn’t fully on board. “Rightly, Bobby views any surgery as an unnecessary, very small, risk to your life,” says Katherine. “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.”.

Growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s, Katherine spent a lot of time trying to be independent but sexy. These days, her brand of feminism has developed. She still loves fashion, but she’s dressing for herself, not for men. “As a young woman, I wanted to be pretty, I wanted to subscribe to the male gaze,” explains Katherine. “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.

“Then, as an older woman and as a mother, I realised that 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 new TV series, fans will see Katherine dressed down at home, and dressed up for work. “I have one of two looks,” explains Katherine. “I either look super sparkly and glam or I look like an elderly rapper in some type of luxury tracksuit with no make-up on. I actually love having no make-up on.

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.”. 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.

It’s not just the frequency that Kamasutra expert Seema Anand is disappointed with, it’s also the lack of variety. So how often do they have sex?. “About five times a month,” says Katherine. “The national average is three. It’s not that we don’t want to, but we have a lot of policing in the house. Violet is in school, sure, but then the babies are there! 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.”.