Former Home and Away star Kate Ritchie has responded to some cheeky speculation about her love life.
The radio personality, 45, has addressed speculation that she was “crushing” on Australian Formula 1 racing star Daniel Ricciardo, 34.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Former Home and Away star Kate Ritchie responds to romance rumours.
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Ritchie was left in stitches on Thursday’s Fitzy & Wippa radio show when co-hosts Ryan “Fitzy” Fitzgerald and Michael “Wippa” Wipfli told her she had been linked with the sports star in a magazine.
Speculation mounted about the “chemistry” between Ricciardo and Ritchie at the recent Melbourne Grand Prix, despite the former being in a relationship with actress Heidi Berger.
“To be honest, I thought Daniel Ricciardo seemed a little distracted on the track and I thought I knew everything,” Fitzy teased.
“We’re a pretty tight team in here, and you kept this from us.
“I feel like we’ve been played for a fool!”
That was all news to Ritchie, who laughed the rumour off and joked about a photo of her that had been used in the article about the supposed romance.
“’The who’s who of Aussie A-listers descended on Melbourne, but when it came to getting close to Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo, it was Kate Ritchie in pole position!’,” Wippa quoted from the article.
That prompted gales of laughter from Ritchie.
“Oh, keep going! This is the best fiction I’ve ever read,” she laughed.
“’Kate, 45, made sure she snapped a selfie with Daniel, 34’,” Wippa continued.
“Fans online didn’t hesitate to comment on the pair’s very obvious chemistry.
“Swipe right, Danny boy!”
“Really, let’s be honest,” Ritchie responded.
“If he didn’t fancy me before, now, when he sees this article and … he sees a photograph of me in head to toe white linen as if I’m Maggie Tabberer, you will be head over heels.”
Maggie Tabberer is a former model and TV personality famous for wearing floaty white outfits.
Wippa then read out a line from the article, describing them as a “great match”.
“I mean, hear, hear!” Ritchie joked.
Ricciardo went Instagram official with girlfriend Heidi Berger, the daughter of Austrian driver Gerhard Berger, in 2022.
But it’s believed the couple actually began dating earlier — around 2019.
Ricciardo often appears as a guest on the Fitzy & Wippa show with Kate Ritchie.
“Yeah mate, I’m in love,” he said of his relationship with Berger when chatting on the show in 2022.
“I’ve got a good thing going on, so yeah, I’ve got a good balance in life right now.”
