EXCLUSIVE: Truth behind Katie McGlynn’s new romance with EastEnders legend
As former Coronation Street actress Katie McGlynn is spotted kissing Max Bowden, a source says it hasn’t been easy for her ex boyfriend Ricky Rayment
Former Corrie star Katie McGlynn ruffled feathers last week after she was snapped smooching EastEnders actor Max Bowden. Their steamy clinch came just weeks after Katie’s split from TOWIE hunk Ricky Rayment and is said to have dealt a huge blow to the 35-year-old. But a source close to the actors tells OK! that their PDA wasn’t a one-off and their blossoming romance is very much the real deal.
“This is a genuine relationship. It’s not just for fun, or for the cameras – no matter what some might think,” said our source. “Katie and Max are totally at ease with each other and are actually very well-suited.” Katie and Max are currently touring the country in the comedy drama Murder At Midnight and have clearly formed a strong bond off-stage. They were snapped sharing a clandestine kiss following a night out in Malvern, Worcestershire, where they were recently performing, at local Wetherspoon ’s pub The Foley Arms.
Katie and Ricky dated for two years, ending things in July this year(Image: OK! Magazine / Joseph Montezinos)
Katie left Corrie in 2020(Image: Getty Images)
Katie, 32, who played Corrie ’s Sinead Tinker for almost seven years, split from TOWIE star Ricky in July, after a two-year romance, while Max is no stranger to dating his co-stars. The 30-year-old has previously been linked to his former EastEnders castmates Shona McGarty and Danielle Harold, while just last month he split from Here We Go actress Tori Allen-Martin – his co-star in another theatre production, Midnight Cowboy – after six months.
And while both Katie and Max are now free agents, sources close to Ricky have said he felt blindsided by the news that his ex and Max are an item. “Ricky still cares about Katie and wants her to be happy, but of course, seeing the pictures of her kissing Max were a blow to him,” a source claimed.
“Nobody would like seeing their ex looking so loved-up so soon after splitting up, so it’s not been easy for him, but there is no bad blood between them. He wishes her the best, he would just rather not have seen those snaps while things are still pretty raw for him.”
Our source says things are still ‘raw’ for Katie and Max’s exes(Image: katiexmcglynn/Instagram)
Last week a source confirmed to OK! that Katie’s romance bombshell has upset Ricky, saying, “I don’t think either of their exes are very happy about this. It’s never easy to see your ex move on, but their feelings are genuine and they can’t switch them off.
“They’re just genuinely a good match. They come from the same world, so they understand each other. It helps that they were friends before getting together, so they feel the relationship has a solid basis. They get on so well and it’s just working.”
Following the release of the snaps, a separate source told a newspaper it’s not exactly a huge surprise the pair fell for one another while touring in their new show, which is set to play at venues around the country until next April.
“Max and Katie have been around each other for years,” the source claimed. “They were in the soap world for so long where everyone knows each other.
“They’ve got loads in common and both have found themselves single at the same time as doing the tour. They get on well and have been spending time together – it’s clear they’ve got chemistry. Who knows what the future holds?”
Katie and Max have been promoting the theatre show together(Image: ITV)
Despite her burgeoning romance with Max, who first joined EastEnders as troubled Ben Mitchell in 2019, Katie’s split from Ricky came as a shock to fans, as the pair had previously seemed so smitten.
The couple even sparked engagement rumours after Katie was seen with a diamond ring on her finger on Valentine’s Day, while last year the lovebirds – who met on a cruise ship in 2023 – opened up to OK ! magazine about their whirlwind relationship.
Reminiscing about the first time he set eyes on Katie, Ricky said, “I saw Katie on board and thought, ‘Wow’.”
But Katie – who stars in the new series of Celebrity MasterChef next month – confessed she initially had doubts she and Ricky would have anything in common.
“I thought he was very good-looking, but to be honest I did judge him a bit prematurely,” she admitted. “I recognised his face and just assumed he wasn’t going to be my type of person – you know, Jack the lad from Essex – and I took it for granted we wouldn’t get on. I’m happy to say I got that one wrong!”
Katie starred as Sinead Tinker, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer before her exit(Image: ITV)
In May this year, the couple still appeared to be head-over-heels as Katie posted a video of herself and Ricky looking loved-up on a sun-soaked holiday, along with the caption, “Find someone that matches your weirdness.”
But in July, news emerged that the pair had called it a day after they deleted all traces of one another from their social media.
A source said at the time, “Katie and Ricky have ended their romance. They’re still friends and want to remain civil, but in terms of a romantic relationship, it’s definitely over.”
With Katie and Max’s play running for another five months, their new relationship certainly has time to blossom. Our source add ed , “They’re very happy and just seeing where it goes.”
