Britain’s unluckiest in love celebrities revealed: Men and women who could rival Elizabeth Taylor with a very long list of failed marriages, engagements and complex parenting arrangements

From Katie Price’s eight engagements to Kevin Clifton’s penchant for marrying his dance partners, the love lives of the rich and famous can be complicated.

American actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor was married and divorced a whopping eight times and eventually swore off nuptials altogether before passing away in 2011 at the age of 79.

But there are a collection of British stars who could give the Hollywood legend a run for her money in the failed romance department. 

Earlier this week, singer and Corrie star Kym Marsh announced her split from toyboy boyfriend Samuel Thomas after a whirlwind six-month romance, despite declaring him her ‘soulmate’. 

If their relationship had gone the distance, it would Kym would have not been short of bridal inspiration with five engagements and three weddings already under her belt.  

Reality star Katie’s love-life has been a turbulent one, with just three of her eight engagements resulting in marriage. Meanwhile Patsy Kensit recently revealed that of her four marriages, only two were the real deal. But who are Britain’s unluckiest in love stars? MailOnline takes a look at the celebrities whose many romances have fizzled – and where they are now.

Katie Price

Katie Price is currently dating MAFS UK star JJ Slater and the pair even sparked engagement rumours last year after she was spotted wearing a diamond ring.

He is the latest in a line of Katie’s exes, after she first got engaged to Gladiator star Warren Furman, who was better known to TV audiences as Ace at the age of 18, only to split up soon after. 

In 1998, Katie and former Another Level star Dane Bowers dated for two years and famously made a sex tape together. In 2016, she also told a crowd of people at a Christmas party that Dane was ‘the love of my life’.

A year after her split from Dane, Katie and former Premier League footballer Dwight Yorke briefly had a romance. But they broke up soon after Katie fell pregnant with her eldest son Harvey, now 21. 

When Katie first fell pregnant with Harvey, who has autism, partial blindness and Prader-Willi Syndrome, Dwight denied he was the father until a DNA test proved his paternity. 

Katie later had a fling with Gareth Gates after he found fame on Pop Idol and he initially denied rumours about their relationship after the pair got together in 2002. The singer was just 17-years-old when he had sex for the first time with Katie, then 21, with her later claiming: ‘I took his virginity when I was six months’ pregnant’.

Her next relationship was with Scott Sullivan back in 2002 and the pair dated for two years before getting engaged. But their relationship came to an explosive end during her appearance on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! when Katie struck up a romance on the show, while engaged, with her now ex-husband Peter Andre.

She famously fell madly in love with Peter, 48, on I’m A Celeb and the pair got married in September 2005 at Highclere Castle. They went on to have two children; son Junior, 19, and Princess, 17, before they split in 2009. 

In May 2009, the couple’s marriage was over after Katie was pictured at Badminton Horse Trials with international dressage rider Andrew Gould and his wife Polly. 

Katie then met cage fighter Alex at Michelle Heaton’s star-studded 30th birthday and they would go on to have a tumultuous two year relationship in 2010. 

After dumping him live on air the couple reconciled and jetted off to Las Vegas to tie the knot in February 2010 after just seven months of dating. However, after just 11 months of marriage, the pair announced they were splitting.  

Soon after in 2011, Katie fell for Argentinian model model Leandro Penna, after meeting him at Elton John’s Oscars party in LA. They announced their engagement in April 2012 but split just six months later.  

A year after that, Katie met part-time stripper and plasterer Kieran Hayler, who is nine years her junior, and the pair would go on to welcome daughter Bunny and son Jett. 

Kieran proposed on Christmas Day 2012 and they exchanged vows just weeks later on the shores of the Bahamas – but Katie then discovered Kieran’s affairs with her friends Jane Poutney and Chrissy Thomas. She appeared determined to make it work and they renewed their vows in 2015. However the ill-fated romance came to an end in 2018 amid more cheating allegations.

Katie later dated Kris Boyson on-and-off for just more than a year, with her children reportedly referring to him as ‘dad’. The personal trainer even proposed to Katie but it was not meant to be and the couple broke up in August 2019, with Katie admitting to Kris that she cheated on him.

Her famously on/off relationship with Carl Woods came next, which saw them get engaged after a whirlwind 10-month romance.

But Carl announced he and Katie had split in November 2022 after she admitted to sleeping with someone else. The couple rekindled their romance in July 2023 but split months later in November.

She has also been linked to Danny Cipriani and Charles Drury.

Kym Marsh

It was revealed this week that Kym Marsh had reportedly split from her boyfriend Samuel Thomas after a whirlwind six month romance.

Kym, who is 19 years older than Samuel, ended her romance with the performer before Christmas after the pair finished touring with the show 101 Dalmatians: The Musical.

Long before she became a household name, Kym met David, a local builder, during a night out at a karaoke pub in her hometown of Garswood, Lancashire. The couple soon became engaged and would go on to welcome two children, David, 29, and Emilie, 27, before separating in 1999, shortly before Kym found fame as a contestant on TV talent show Popstars. 

Two years later, romance blossomed over tea and biscuits after Kym met EastEnders star Jack Ryder in the BBC canteen. She was making an appearance on Top Of The Pops with pop group Hear’Say when they crossed paths. 

The couple married at St. Albans parish church, Hertford, in August 2002 – but seven years later it was all over, with Jack filing for divorce on the grounds of adultery following her apparent fling with second-husband-in-waiting Jamie Lomas.  

Friends initially feared Kym had rushed into the relationship with Jamie when they started dating just four months after she split from husband Jack. The pair first met on a train as they made their way to the 2007 TV Quick Awards before developing a romance in July 2008 – a year before her divorce.

They had been together less than two months when Kym fell pregnant with their first child. Tragically their son Archie Jay died moments after being born 18-weeks early on February 11.

The couple had happier news when they welcomed daughter Polly in March 2011 and later wed in September 2012. But the pair were divorced by 2014, with Kym said to be stunned by Jamie’s decision to break it off. 

In 2013, a year before Jamie ended their marriage, Kym had a five-month fling with Coronation Street co-star Oliver Mellor, who later claimed he dumped the actress because he knew she would never leave the Hollyoaks actor.

Kym then began dating personal trainer Dan Hooper in April 2014, with the couple confirming their engagement by the December the same year. Kym eventually called off their engagement in May 2015.

She then met her third husband Scott – a soldier with the British Armed Forces –  in 2019, before he proposed on her birthday in 2021. The married the same year, however their split was announced in May 2023.

Kerry Katona 

Kerry Katona most recently had a secret romance with celebrity chef Jameson Stocks but ‘dumped him the day of The Vivienne’s funeral’, with him saying the pair had discussed marriage.

But before Jameson was Kerry’s fiance of six years Ryan – who she split from back in November, reportedly leaving her ‘devastated’. 

Kerry was famously first married to Brian McFadden after the pair met while their respective bands, Atomic Kitten and Westlife, toured together in 1999. They welcomed daughter Molly Marie in 2001 and a lavish celebrity wedding followed in 2002. A year later, they welcomed their second daughter, Lily-Sue. 

But, alas, it wasn’t meant to be, as in 2004 the couple announced their separation amid allegations Brian had cheated on Kerry with a lapdancer.

She later wed taxi driver Mark Croft in 2005 until 2010. Their marriage came amid a tough time for the reality star as her once impressive fortune dwindled to bankruptcy and she admitted to having a cocaine addiction. In the years after their split, Mark would admit he ‘bled Kerry dry’. Their marriage produced two children: daughter Heidi and son Maxwell. 

Kerry’s last serious relationship before Ryan was with her ex-husband George Kay, who she met while he was her driver in 2012. The couple got engaged a year later at the top of Blackpool Tower and soon after welcomed daughter Dylan-Jorge before tying the knot in 2014. 

After a turbulent marriage and rumours of domestic violence, the pair divorced in 2017. Tragically George passed away two years later from a cocaine overdose.

Throughout the years Kerry has also been linked to Scottish comedian James English, Take Me Out contestant Dan Foden, artist Steve Alce, DJ Dan Corsi, childhood sweetheart Dave Cunningham and famously actor Lucien Laviscount after they met on Celebrity Big Brother. 

Kerry is a mother to five children, daughters Molly, 23, and Lilly, 22, with Westlife star Brian and Heidi, 17, and Max, 16, from her marriage to Mark. She welcomed her youngest daughter Dylan-Jorge, 10, with George.

Natasha Hamilton

Atomic Kitten Natasha Hamilton is mother to five children: son Josh with her bodyguard ex Fran Cosgrave, son Harry, with actor Gavin Hatcher, son Alfie, with ex-husband Riad Erraji and daughter Ella with boyband star Ritchie Neville.

Most recently, she welcomed daughter Kitty with her husband Charles Gray in 2023 after the pair tied the knot two years earlier. 

Natasha began dating Charles in early 2016 and they announced their engagement in November that year, before tying the knot at a stunning Lake Como ceremony in 2021. 

In February 2018, the singer and Charles sparked split speculation when she deleted the businessman on her personal Facebook page as well as unfollowing him on all her public media profiles. However, just two months later she confirmed they were back on with a snap of them in bed captioned: ‘Love conquers all.’

Her first high profile relationship was with Westlife bodyguard-turned-reality star Fran Cosgrave from 2001 until 2002 and the pair welcomed a son called Josh.

She moved on with professional dancer Gavin Hatcher in 2003, with whom she had her second child, Harry, born on New Year’s Eve in 2004.

Natasha briefly split from Gavin to get back together with ex Fran – but she then reunited with the dancer from February 2005 until February 2006. 

Later that year she met restaurant owner Riad Erraji and the former couple wed in 2007 at Crewe Hall Hotel. In January 2008, Natasha discovered she was pregnant with her third child but tragically had a miscarriage at six weeks. 

Natasha and Riad saw happier days when they welcomed a son called Alfie in 2010- however the pair eventually called time on their marriage in 2013. 

Her last romance before her current husband Charles was her relationship with 5ive Star Ritchie Neville. The pair met first dated early on in their careers before reconnecting on ITV2’s The Big Reunion in 2013. 

The former couple welcomed Natasha’s fourth child, Ella Rose, in September 2014, before getting engaged in 2016. However they split just five months later.

Ulrika Jonsson

Ulrika has been single since her 2019 divorce from third husband Brian Monet, with whom she shares son Malcolm, after the pair parted ways after ten years together. 

Her first marriage to cameraman John Turnbull was in 1990 and they have a son called Cameron. Ulrika and John called time on their relationship in 1995.

It was after that split that she struck up a year-long romance with Gladiator hunk Hunter, real name James Crossley, when she was 29 and he was 23. 

Following the breakdown of her marriage, Ulrika was linked to footballer Stan Collymore and the pair began dating. However in 1998 Stan issued a public apology for being violent towards to Swedish-British TV host and they later split.

She soon after began dating German hotel manager Marcus Kempen and the pair later welcomed a daughter, Bo, in 2000 – however they split shortly after the birth. 

Ulrika was at the centre of a media storm in 2002 after rumours of an affair with Sven-Göran Eriksson, who had a longtime girlfriend, which she later confirmed.  

The presenter’s second marriage in 2003 was to Lance Gerrard-Wright who, at the time, was a contestant on her TV show Mr Right. They welcomed a daughter, Martha, in 2004 before divorcing two years later.

In March 2008, Ulrika married her third husband, American advertising executive Brian, and she gave birth to their son Malcolm that same year. However after various attempts at counselling to salvage their failing relationships over the years, they eventually divorced in 2019.

Patsy Kensit

Actress Patsy Kensit’s most famous marriage was of course to Oasis star Liam Gallagher. 

But before Liam was Dan Donovan, from 1980s pop group Big Audio Dynamite, who Patsy wed in 1988 when she was 22 years old.

However the pair split in 1991 and a year later she married Simple Minds front man Jim Kerr. Patsy and Jim welcomed her first child, James, but divorced in 1996.

Patsy is said to have had a romance with footballer Ryan Giggs in 1995 after she made a bee-line for him at a film premiere. 

In 1997, Patsy walked down the aisle yet again as she wed singer Liam at Marylebone Town Hall. The couple later welcomed a son called Lennon, named after The Beatles’ John Lennon. They split in 2000.

Patsy made headlines in 2000 when she had an affair with Scottish footballer Ally McCoist, who she had been friends with for 10 years. The affair was cited in divorce proceedings from Ally’s first wife.

She later enjoyed a brief romance with ‘human beatbox’ Killa Kela for over a year, but dumped him after telling friends that they no longer had much in common. 

After her split from Killa, Patsy got engaged to DJ Jeremy Healy, who she had been friends with since the 1980s, in 2007. However they made the mutual decision to call off their wedding soon after.

Patsy and Jeremy reconciled and did finally marry in April 2009 – but by February 2010 the couple had separated for good.   

The actress announced her whirlwind engagement to property tycoon Patric Cassidy in 2023 after businessman popped the question within weeks of their first date.

Patric proposed to the former Holby City star in Mayfair seafood restaurant Scott’s, before buying the fellow diners champagne to celebrate. However Patsy was reportedly left ‘visibly distressed’ at a charity event in June 2024 when Patric snatched her diamond engagement ring from her hand during a row. Just weeks later their split was confirmed.

Kevin Clifton 

Professional dancer Kevin Clifton was famously at the centre of a Strictly curse storm after meeting his now-wife Stacey Dooley on the show.   

But he has a pattern of falling for his dance partners after first getting hitched to Latin world champion Anna Melnikova when he was just 20 years old in 2003. 

However the couple’s romance was short lived and Kevin has since said their marriage broke down after he ‘fell out of love’ with dancing. 

His next relationship was again with a dancer, but not one who was his partner on the dancefloor. 

He began dating trained ballet dancer Clare Craze, who he met in a London salsa bar, in 2007. The former couple moved in together after just eight weeks of dating, and he proposed after just six months. But allegedly Kevin didn’t tell Claire that he had been married before. 

Claire and Kevin married at St Mary’s Church in Clare’s hometown of Wivenhoe, where he made a speech he allegedly recycled with his third wife, dancer Karen Hauer. 

The pair were both cast in stage show Burn The Floor in New York but Claire struggled watching her husband perform sensual dances with other women and received hypnotherapy to control her jealousy. His future third wife Karen was among the cast.

But on returning to London, Kevin went home to Grimsby saying he was recovering from bronchitis but when he returned he broke things off with Claire. 

Soon after the split, he and Karen became an item and he later proposed to her on stage. They wed in 2015 but called time on their marriage three years later – the same year he met his current partner Stacey. 

Stacey was in a seven-year-relationship while partnered with Kevin on Strictly, which they won. But fur months later the pair split and her ex said he found gushing messages on her phone from Kevin.

Both Stacey and Kevin insisted there was no crossover in the relationships and welcomed their daughter Minnie in 2023.

Brian McFadden

Westlife star Brian and Atomic Kitten original Kerry enjoyed a high-profile romance in their pop heyday and later had daughters Molly and Lilly-Sue during the course of their four-year relationship.

Kerry quit the girl group when she fell pregnant with their first child and the pair tied the knot in January 2002.

But they announced their intention to divorce just two years later and embarked upon a bitter custody battle for their children. The divorce wasn’t finalised until 2006.

In 2004, while in the middle of his custody battle with Kerry, Brian began dating Australian singer Delta Goodrem, with whom he collaborated on the duet Almost Here. They were engaged but ended their relationship in 2011.

Just one year later, the singer tied the knot with Irish model Vogue Williams in a lavish Tuscan ceremony in Italy in September 2012.

However they publicly announced their separation on X, formerly Twitter, in 2015 and their divorce was finalised in 2017. Vogue went on to marry Made In Chelsea star Spencer Matthews. 

In December 2019, Brian announced he was engaged yet again to PE teacher Danielle Parkinson after three years of dating. They welcomed a daughter in May 2021 and the pair are set to wed this summer.