Kate Ritchie: ALL your questions answered!

How old is Kate Ritchie?

Kate Ritchie’s age is 40. She was born Katherine Leigh Ritchie on Aug. 14, 1978, in Goulburn in rural NSW but attended schools in Sydney, including Campbelltown North Public School and Hurlstone Agricultural School.“I was only about three-years old when we moved from Goulburn: I was practically a baby, but my sister and I were both born at Goulburn Base Hospital,” Ritchie told the Goulburn Post. “But I still feel like I’m a bit of a Goulburn girl, and I claim that I was born in rural New South Wales."

“Even after moving to Sydney, I still went to an agricultural college - I went to Hurlstone Ag in Glenfield - and there were loads of boarders there from the bush. One of my best girlfriends there was a girl from Taralga. So even despite having moved from Goulburn, I still feel a real connection with the area,” said Ritchie, who took dance classes until the Home and Away fame grew too much.

How tall is Kate Ritchie?

IMDB lists her height as 5' 4¼" (1.63 m).

How much does Kate Ritchie weigh?

Healthyceleb.com puts the pilates fan’s weight at 53 kg. On the whole she sticks to a pretty healthy diet, but there are lapses, she tells Kate Waterhouse, “I eat a lot of fish, like ocean trout. I eat everything. That’s half my problem. Like I love all the really bad things. I don’t have a sweet tooth necessarily, but I like, meats and cheese and all that stuff that the Heart Foundation would be telling me not to eat, probably.”

As for exercise, “Don’t make it optional, health and fitness have to be just as important as everything else in my schedule; which is easier said than done at times,” the mother-of-one tells mybody+soul. “The honest truth is that if I have my physical AND mental health and fitness on track, the rest of my life follows suit. That fact needs to act as a constant reminder to make health a priority.”

Has Kate Ritchie lost a lot of weight in the past?

Yes, in a bodies story for WHO, Ritchie conceded to successful weight loss in 2006 but said, "(Fitting) into size small jeans doesn't make me happy. It's about being able to enjoy a meal, a glass of wine and balancing that with exercise."

“I do a lot of Pilates and I think that’s what has lead to the most noticeable change in my body,” she said to Beauticate in 2016. “I do have a gym membership but I’m not a regular gym go-er. Otherwise I’m out and about with Mae and we have an American Staffy that needs to be walked a lot.” 

Speaking to Body + Soul, Ritchie says, “When I hit puberty an entire nation was watching, which wasn't easy. I shed a lot of my teenage puppy fat in my early twenties, though, and now I just focus on living a healthy lifestyle. I'm never going to look like Elle McPherson or Heidi Klum, but nor would I want to."

But although there was some weight loss, some of the perceived larger body image was due to the illusion of TV. "I spent the formative years of my life having people come up and say 'wow, you're not as fat as I thought you were,' " she told Good Health magazine. And on The Project, she noted, "I have to admit, it was pretty awful at times, but I think after 30 years, I'm so used to people commenting on my body."

Who are Kate Ritchie's Parents?

Ritchie was born to police officer Steve and mother Heather, who was not a stage mum at all. When Steve suggested signing their daughter up to a talent agency, Heather replied, “Why would you want to do that? You know what all those people on television are like...”

How many siblings does Kate Ritchie have?

Ritchie has three younger siblings, including sisters Rebecca and Susan, who were bridesmaids at her wedding, and brother Stuart.

Who is Kate Ritchie friends with?

The likeable radio host seems to get along with pretty much everyone, but is particulary close to her girl gang, which includes fellow former Home and Away star Bec Hewitt, Rebekka Tuqiri, the wife of rugby league player Lote Tuqiri (they met because their partners were mates), Head of Seven network drama Julie McGauran and TV publicist Vic Richards. “She was a really funny, out there, extroverted woman and my husband and I immediately thought she was a really great chick,” says Tuqiri on Australian Story of meeting Ritchie.

Then there are her many Home and Away co-stars that she is still close too, including onscreen mum Debra Lawrence (Pippa) and father figure Ray Meagher (Alf Stewart).

Is Kate Ritchie Married? When was Kate Ritchie's wedding?

Yes. Kate Ritchie is married to former St George Illawarra Dragons rugby league player-turned-chef Stuart Webb, who she had known around the traps for a while before re-meeting at the races in 2008. The pair celebrated their marriage in September 2010 in Tasmania after becoming engaged the year before on a European vacation.

“It was absolutely beautiful,” she told the Goulburn Post of the wedding. “We didn’t want anything big and flashy. We only had 50 people there or something like that and Tasmania seemed like the perfect spot. And it was absolutely lovely.”

Ritchie and husband Webb like to keep their relationship low key, which has led to rumours of trouble in their marriage, rumours which seem to be dispelled by a recent Nov. 24 post.

Who has Kate Ritchie dated in the past?

Chris Walker

“When I first met Chris he was playing for the Brisbane Broncos,” Ritchie, who comes from a rugby league loving family, said on Australian Story of her first well-known boyfriend. “We had five years together and there were great things about it. I mean, we were in love and the highest of highs. But then I think sometimes in that kind of relationship when you get those things you also get the very low lows. Going through the lows I was thankful that I had things like Home and Away.”

“I enjoyed seeing myself in the papers and magazines but I look back now and think “who cares?’’ I was young and immature and it appealed to me but it certainly does not now,” Walker said to the Courier Mail.

Corbin Harris

After Walker came pro-skateboarder Harris, who was four years younger than Ritchie.

The year-long romance of the pair, who met at Home and Away co-star Ada Nicodemou's wedding to Chrys Xipolitas in February 2017, ended due to “difficult timing and loaded work schedules.”

"We remain great friends but at this time we have decided to go our separate ways," Ritchie said in a statement. "Corbin has been an amazing support for Kate during a period of incredible change," a spokeswoman for Ritchie said.

It was only six weeks post-breakup with boyfriend Harris that Ritchie was spotted with future husband Webb.

Does Kate Ritchie have kids? Is Kate Ritchie pregnant?

Yes, Ritchie has one daughter—so far. Mae, born on 17 August, 2014. As for if she is expecting another little one, so far Ritchie has kept mum on any current pregnancy. She did tell Stellar magazine in December 2017, “I would love to have more children. [Mae] just wants to talk to kids and interact with them, and she is so loving and so caring that I hope she has siblings — other little people to look after.”

"I thought the love of my life was Home and Away. Then I met this perfect being. It's been a long road but I am so proud and so happy that I gave myself the chance to realise my greatest life achievements didn't all have to be thanks to Sally Fletcher,” Ritchie posted in January of Mae, who inspired the books It’s Not Scribble to Me and I Just Couldn’t Wait to Meet You. 

What is Kate Ritchie's net worth?

The website Aussie Celebs put Ritchie’s net worth at $4 million. No doubt that has help set up her property portfolio which The Daily Telegraph lists as a 2 bedroom unit in Sydney’s exclusive Bellevue Hill, bought for $355,000 in 2000, a three bedroom house in Randwick, $990,000 in 2003, and most recently a four bedroom, 3 bathroom farmhouse called Fallow Field in Burradoo in 2016 for $1.75 million.

What are Kate Ritchie's most famous hairstyles?

See for yourself:

1. Beachy Waves

2. The high pony

3. The glamour bun

4. The faux bob

5. The dark side

6. Set it straight

7. All grown up

Has Kate Ritchie ever had a leaked sex tape scandal?

Maybe. There were rumours in 2000 that a sex video doing the rounds was of Ritchie and an ex-boyfriend. But the star has not spoken out on the topic. When launching her campaign for Jockey underwear this year, she did say,“I’m naturally conservative. But I know there is an incredibly crazy, wild, naughty girl inside. I’ve kept her in for a very long time.”

Has Kate Ritchie ever posed nude or topless?

No. Not even a nip slip. There are some sites devoted to naked screenshots from her alleged sex tape (see above) and one that gleefully took a screen grab from her Underbelly stint, where you can see down her top. But for now, boys, this is as close as you get:

“The biggest change in the relationship with my body is that I have stopped comparing it to others which in turn has given me a new found confidence which didn’t previously exist. Maybe that is part of the reason I even agreed to take on the role as Jockey ambassador and basically strip down to my underwear. Something I would have declined politely in the past! I now realise the greatest satisfaction comes from being the best version of myself (mind AND body) not anyone else,” Ritchie told Women’s Health.

Has Kate Ritchie had plastic surgery?

Maybe. A Woman’s Day story claims the then Home and Away star had a nose job, saying, "She was teased by the other young cast members - so much so it's rumoured she went under the knife at least twice!"

Has Kate Ritchie had a breast reduction?

Unlikely. But there is a google group devoted to this question if you'd like to see the arguments for and against. It seems more plausible that losing the “puppy fat” as she said she did in her 20s may have decreased the size of her breasts naturally. Judging by some cleavage baring shots, what Ritchie has now is ample. Celeb Riot lists her bra size as 40D.

Is Kate Ritchie religious?

Unlikely. There are no press references to Kate’s observance of religion, and judging by this Instagram post of her visiting the Vatican, where she quips, “I wasn’t sure they’d let me in,” if she does follow any belief, it would seem she doesn’t consider herself a good Catholic.

What movies has Kate Ritchie been in?

According to IMDB, Ritchie has not credited with any feature movies but has starred in 2007 short Mere Oblivion, 2006 TV movie Stepfather of the Bride and 1996 miniseries Cyclone Tracy. Since leaving Home and Away she has done various non-acting spots (including a season of singing on and a season of hosting It Takes Two) as well as episodes of Mr & Mrs Murder and It’s a Date and a starring role in the drama series Cops L.A.C.

Who did Kate Ritchie play on Home & Away?

As if we even need to ask that question! Playing Sally Fletcher, the youngest of the adopted children of Tom and Pippa Fletcher, Kate was 8-years-old when she began filming on the soap, which launched on Seven in Jan. 1998. As one of the original characters, Sally grew up to have several weddings, plenty of tragedies and even a snog with Heath Ledger. In 2007 and 2008 Ritchie won Gold Logies for Most Popular TV Personality and has also earned three silver Logies for Most Popular Actress while on the show.

How long was Kate Ritchie on Home and Away?

Ritchie did her time on the Summer Bay-set soap, logging over 4000 episodes and 20 years on the show before her April 2008 departure. This achievement earned her—together with fellow Home and Away stars Ray Meagher and Norman Coburn—a Guinness Book Record for longest continuous role on an Australian drama series.

But playing one character for that long had its downside. “As long as I can remember, Sally Fletcher brought so many wonderful things to my life,” Ritchie said to Stellar. “People wanted to meet me because of Sally, or I won awards because of Sally, or I was invited to great events because of Sally. When you don’t remember your life without it and all of a sudden that doesn’t exist, you wonder, ‘What is it about me that is attractive?’"

Is Kate Ritchie on Instagram?

Yes. The actress/radio personality can be found at kateritchieofficial and has 267k followers.

Is Kate Ritchie on Twitter?

Yes. Her handle is @kateritchie01 and she started her feed in July 2013. Currently she has 29.5K followers.

What charities is Kate Ritchie involved with?

The benevolent Ritchie works with the Australian Red Cross, Ovarian Cancer Australia and Camp Quality, to name a few.

What is Kate Ritchie doing now?

For the last decade, Ritchie has been working mainly on air with radio station Nova. Currently she co-hosts the drive show from 4–6 PM in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide with Tim Blackwell and Marty Sheargold and in October won an ACRA for best entertainment presenter. From 2008–9, Ritchie did the breakfast shift with Merrick & Rosso. “I spent more than 20 years really acting and rehearsing everything within an inch of its life,” she told blogger Kate Waterhouse. “So it’s a lovely freedom to work in radio.”

Also keeping her busy: Ritchie has written two picture books since Mae was born, is the face of QV skincare and has been modelling knickers for Jockey! As Alf would say, "You flamin' legend!"