Kerry Katona has confirmed she’s well and truly over with ex-fiancé Ryan Mahoney, boasting on Instagram that she is ‘single and ready to mingle’. And now insiders say that her BFF Katie Price – who’s currently coupled up with Married At First Sight’s JJ Slater – is keen to find Kerry a new man for the new year so that she and Kerry can double date together.

‘Katie has big plans for 2025 and she wants Kerry and her new fella next to her. She’s even talking about setting her up with JJ’s pals and going on double dates together,’ a source tells Closer.

Katie Price and JJ Slater attend the 2024 Kiss Haunted House Party ©getty

While fans speculated that Kerry, 44, and Ryan had gone their separate ways after she referred to herself as single last month, the former Atomic Kitten singer only confirmed a few weeks later that their relationship had ended after what she described as a ‘breach of trust’.

The couple had been engaged since 2020, and she described the 36-year-old fitness trainer as ‘a dad’ to her kids – Molly, 21, Lilly-Sue, 20, Heidi, 16, Max, 14, and eight-year-old

DJ. Ryan has moved out of the house, and Kerry admitted that it’s been ‘a tough time’, with her children ‘really devastated’ by the split.

Last week, she confessed, ‘We are no longer together and it’s been a really tough week – I never in a million years thought this would happen… There has been a breach of trust between us. But I know I can get through it no matter what happens, I’ve been through break-ups before and come out the other side, so we just need to see what happens.’

Katie and Kerry Katona in a photocall for ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ in 2004 ©itv / shutterstock

She added, ‘I’m just trying to navigate my way across these emotions the best I can. There are children involved. We’ve been together for six-and-a-half years. Is it easy? We’ll just have to wait and see.’

But Kerry seemed to hint she was keen to get back out there, when she posted about finding a man for Christmas. Alongside an image saying, ‘Single and ready to mingle’, she wrote on Instagram, ‘With heat prices rising, I think it’s only fair I take in a temporary boyfriend just to keep me warm throughout the Christmas period! This is just a temp job, all applications must DM with previous CVs!’

Katie and Kerry have been best pals for over two decades since they met in the I’m A Celebrity! jungle in 2004. Over the years, their love lives have often mirrored each other – with each having three failed marriages under their belt and five kids with three different dads.

But while Kerry is now single, Katie, 46, is happily loved-up with her MAFS UK toyboy JJ, 32

And insiders say that with the pals set to be spending a lot of time together – as they prepare to star as wicked stepsisters in the pantomime Cinderella in Northwich in December, which will see Katie moving in with Kerry – Katie has her mind set on finding Kerry her Mr Right.

‘They’re panto sisters and they’ve lived very similar lives,’ our insider says. ‘Kerry was there for Katie last year when she split from Carl [Woods]. And Kerry was one of the first people to meet JJ – so Katie knows it’s her turn to look after Kerry. They’ve always been like that.’ They add, ‘Katie will move in with Kerry to keep her strong. JJ is taking a back seat for the moment as Katie is putting her life on hold to look after Kerry.’

Having been dating since January, Katie and JJ’s relationship is said to be going from strength to strength, with rumours of a potential forthcoming engagement. The former glamour model feels she has found true love this time, and believes that Kerry can do the same and is glad that her romance with Ryan is over.

‘Katie thinks Kerry has done the right thing and that Ryan was baggage – she knows how that feels, not being appreciated for everything you do for them,’ the source says. ‘Katie’s advice to Kerry is that men are baggage – you can pick them up, put them down and upgrade them as you go through life.’

With the pair spending more time together, double dating isn’t the only thing on their minds, with the source adding that Katie is hoping for more joint collaborations with her pal.

‘Katie and Kerry have been sisters since the jungle and nothing’s changed, but now they can make money together, which includes their panto, OnlyFans, a book and recording a single together,’ the insider says. ‘Kerry will make millions now she’s single and has no one holding her back.’