While everybody waits for Kate Ritchie to make her big return to her Nova radio show, it seems the star is enjoying her time away from the spotlight.
Late last year, 44-year-old Kate announced she was taking a break from her high-profile career, before later confessing in a statement she was working on her alcohol dependency and had “decided to use this time to do something positive by getting the help I need from professionals who specialise in this area”.
Now Woman’s Day can reveal there is someone lending Kate a supportive shoulder to lean on. Exclusive new pictures reveal Kate has become attached to a handsome hunk named Chevy Black.
The pair appear to have made their relationship Instagram official, with Ritchie re-sharing a story taken by Black of herself and her dog at the beach.
While Kate has yet to formally announce the relationship, Woman’s Day understands the pair have grown close in the past few months. We’re told the friends have spent most of the summer holidays together, with Kate attending outings with Chevy’s close-knit family.
“She’s been introduced to the family, including Chevy’s mother and siblings,” tells a source.
WATCH: Kate Ritchie goes Instagram official with Chevy Black. Article continues after video.
Kate’s daughter Mae also appears to be fond of Chevy, who is said to be like a doting uncle, after the trio were pictured out together in Sydney in late February 2023.
The eight-year-old, who Kate shares with former NRL player Stuart Webb, has also been spotted enjoying days at the park with Kate’s new friend.
Speaking to Woman’s Day, a source who knows Chevy, who is from Taree on the NSW Mid North Coast, reveals he is a “kind and lovable type of guy”.
Indeed, the photos show how close they have become, with the pair enjoying a kiss at Clovelly Beach last week as Sydney’s weather heated up over the weekend.
Kate reportedly split from her ex-boyfriend, businessman John Bell, late last year, following her headline-making separation from her husband Stuart in 2019 and divorce in 2020.