Rylan Clark, 37, has declared he is unbothered by cancel culture as he embraces a new chapter in his life. In an interview with Metro, the presenter spoke candidly about narrowly missing out on a Strictly Come Dancing presenting role, his relationship with Kennedy Bates, and his mental health struggles.
Rylan on Strictly Snub and New Romance
Rylan confirmed he was in the running to present the new series of Strictly Come Dancing but lost out to his close friend Emma Willis, who will co-host alongside Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe. 'I'm so over the moon for Em,' he said. 'She's perfect for that job. And JoJo, who I absolutely adore. I think he's just going to be amazing.'
On his romance with fairground director Kennedy Bates, Rylan's face lit up. 'All I care about is that I'm in a relationship that I want to be in,' he explained. 'My happy place is getting in the car, going to Leicester, seeing my fella, maybe just being at the fair. It does feel like a little escape, where I'm not Rylan, I'm just Ross.'
Mental Health and Cancel Culture
Rylan opened up about his mental health breakdown following his split from husband Dan Neal in 2021, describing it as 'paralysing.' He appeared on ITV's The Assembly, an interview series where autistic and neurodivergent journalists question celebrities. 'You aren't prepared; they don't tell you what questions they're going to ask,' he said. 'You've just got to be open and honest because no one's there to judge.'
He credited friends Ruth Langsford and Claire Richards for their support during his hospitalization. 'After all of that, you realise all you need is people that you can really trust,' he said. Regarding cancel culture, Rylan stated: 'I don't care if someone wants to cancel me. It's got nothing to do with fame or a fear of people talking. It's just about being decent.'
Looking Forward
Rylan described his current era as his favorite yet. 'I'm at the start of the rest of my life,' he said. 'I'm never going to let myself go there again. Whatever's thrown at me, I know the process of how to deal now.' He also delivered some of Amazon's first Prime Day orders, with deals available for Prime members this week.
