Bluey Takes Over Alton Towers: Stars Flock to Launch of New Ride
The whimsical world of Bluey has landed at Alton Towers, and the theme park was abuzz with excitement as a host of familiar faces turned out for the grand launch of “Bluey The Ride” on Saturday. Leading the celebrity contingent were comedian Katherine Ryan and Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley, both spotted in high spirits as they embraced the fun with their families.
Katherine Ryan, 42, was a picture of joy, sharing the thrill of the new attraction with her three-year-old daughter Fenna. Her brood was further represented by her son Fred, four, and the youngest of the family, five-month-old Holland, who attended with partner Bobby Kootstra.
Meanwhile, Catherine Tyldesley, also 42, donned a stylish khaki coat to keep warm while enjoying the rides with her three-year-old daughter, Iris. The soap opera favourite was accompanied by her husband, Tom Pitfield, and their 11-year-old son, James.
The star-studded guest list also included Amy Childs, who opted for a chic white trench coat and a matching zip-up jumper. She was seen enjoying the festivities with her eldest daughter, nine-year-old Polly.
Lydia Bright brought along her six-year-old daughter, Loretta Rose, for the family fun. Fellow TOWIE alum Georgia Kousoulou was also present, sharing the experience with her four-year-old son, Brody.
Rounding out the impressive turnout was Leanne Quigley, the triumphant winner of The Traitors series two. She attended with her fiancée Sophie Jones and their twins, Hudson and Harley, adding to the vibrant atmosphere.
Katherine Ryan’s Humorous Take on Motherhood
The outing comes shortly after Katherine Ryan shared a light-hearted moment from a recent family holiday, where she playfully commented on her “fertility addiction.” The comedian took to Instagram with a comical clip showcasing her expanding family. The video featured her sons Fred and the baby Holland, along with Fenna, all snugly fitted into a double buggy as she navigated the resort.
Katherine, who is also mum to 16-year-old daughter Violet, captioned the post with a tongue-in-cheek remark, suggesting her large family was “an advert for condoms.” She went on to praise the practicalities of the Bugaboo double buggy she’d brought along, humorously stating it was “enabling my fertility addiction.”
In another shared clip of her children, she added a touch of playful exaggeration: “Truly all-star performance from the donkey this holiday. We [heart emoji] @bugaboouk #notanad #butsortofanadforcondoms.”
Unpacking Family Dynamics and Past Relationships
The public appearance also coincides with Katherine Ryan breaking her long-held silence on the father of her eldest daughter, Violet. While welcoming her third child with partner Bobby Kootstra in October, the comedian recently addressed the man who fathered her 16-year-old.
Previously guarded about Violet’s father’s identity, Katherine has now spoken candidly, admitting she no longer feels the need to hold back, especially as Violet is now old enough to form her own opinions. “I’ve been careful never to s**g him off just because I don’t think it’s the right thing to do,” Katherine revealed on the Juicy Scoop With Heather McDonald podcast. “And I really protected him while my daughter was young. I would never say anything bad about him.”
However, she explained that as Violet has grown, her perspective has shifted. “But now she’s 16, she can see for herself that unfortunately, he’s not a bad person, but he’s never made any sacrifices, never paid anything for her, just kind of texts her, which I think is breadcrumbing. Like, ‘Hey, love you. How are you?’ Which is better than no contact. But he hasn’t been the type of dad that you would want for your daughter.”
When questioned directly about his involvement in Violet’s life, Katherine responded with a simple, “Not really.”
Her approach to discussing Violet’s father has always been measured. In her 2019 Netflix special, “Glitter Room,” she stated, “He’s my child’s dad, and for that reason I shall never say a bad word about him.”
But on the podcast, the mother of four expressed her true feelings more openly. She even joked about her potential aptitude for a low-effort parenting style, mirroring that of Violet’s father. “I think I would be a great dad. Like, a non-contact parent. Because it’s so easy,” she quipped.
The Duchess star, who shares three younger children with her Canadian husband Bobby Kootstra, 43, elaborated on this. “All you have to do with a teenage girl is drive to the mother’s house, send her a text, and go, ‘Do you want to come get a Starbucks with me?’ It’s all they have to do. ‘If not, I’ll go get you a Starbucks. I’ll drop it off. You come to the car, I’ll give it to you, say, ‘Hey, how are you? I love you. Here’s your Starbucks, bye.’ No pressure.”
She continued to highlight the imbalance in parental effort: “I’ve heard so many dads go, ‘Well, she’s using me for rides. I don’t get anything back.’ The flow goes one way – parent to child. There’s nothing they [children] can do wrong. Just make yourself available, make some type of sacrifice. Unfortunately, my daughter doesn’t have the dad that I would want her to have.”
Katherine and businessman Bobby Kootstra, her high school sweetheart from Canada, reconnected in 2018. Their reunion occurred while she was filming an episode of the BBC ancestry series “Who Do You Think You Are?” in her hometown of Sarnia, Ontario.
