MY first experience of love – or at least a serious crush – happened at school when I was 15. After falling for an Emo boy in the year above, I thought I’d genuinely found The One. His dark hair and stubble made him look like he belonged in a band, which was ideal really, considering my bedroom walls were plastered with boy-band posters.
He had the “mature” thing going for him and it helped that all the other girls thought he was gorgeous. Eventually, our mundane MSN chat – which largely consisted of moaning about our parents and discussing Fall Out Boy – ran dry and I realised we weren’t all that compatible. Teen crushes are one thing, but when it comes to feeling loved and secure, those are feelings I’ve only really experienced in my 30s, after meeting my partner Nick [Knowles, 62, DIY SOS presenter].
We connected through our children back in 2021 [ Katie is Mum to Savannah, 10, and Alex, six, while Nick has four children, aged 10 to 28], later having our first date at a cafe in Maidenhead. As a shy person, I was surprised when our chat flowed, discussing everything from my family to work. We dated for two years while we lived apart – Nick in Cheltenham and me in Windsor – before moving in together when my kids felt settled with him.
Nick is a big personality who loves to talk, but I’ve learned there’s “TV Nick” and “Home Nick”. When he’s at home, he’s thoughtful, buying flowers and making endless cups of tea. He also does a great slow-.
