Britain's most married man hasn't given up on love and is still looking to find his perfect match.
Ron Sheppard, 74, who has been married eight times, admits that he hates being single and wants to find a 'companion' to go out with. The father-of-eight most recently called off an engagement to an American woman called Rose - who he had never met - in 2019 after it "didn't feel right". Since then, he has been keeping himself to himself and even admits to becoming a lonely 'recluse'. "I've taken time for myself and been a recluse because of my medical problems and Covid," Ron, who has Parkinson's, tells The Mirror.
"I'm just plodding along." The former tour manager of comedian Norman Wisdom says that since Filipino Cristel Lalec, whom he thought would be his “forever wife”, left the UK five years ago, he has been searching for romance online ever since.
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In the past few weeks, he has been chatting to a woman based in the UK. "It's very early days... I'm not rushing into it," Ron, of Somerton, Somerset, continues.
"I am still looking for love. I'm still looking for 'luuuuuuuuv' with an 'luv'," he laughs.
The serial proposer, who doesn't speak to any of his ex-wives, adds: "I've never given up on love. I hate being alone - I just want a companion.
"I'd like to find someone I can have a good conversation with; who will support me; go out to places. I don't go out in the evenings now but that would be nice to have somebody with me."
Ron has kept himself busy during the lockdowns in the past two years by continuing his health campaigning efforts, which he has been doing since 1993.
Meanwhile, Ron, who thinks he is now a great-grandfather to 13 children although he has lost count - is also in the process of launching a second book - The Wife Collector - following his 2014 autobiography, Lord of The Weddings.
It is to go alongside a film, currently in pre-production with West Coast Pictures in the US, about his true life story, he says.
Ron first got married in 1966 to Margaret - who he shared three children with but later divorced after two years.
Wife number two was Jeanette in 1973, with the marriage lasting just one year.
He then tied the knot to Lesley in 1976 and they had two boys. He left her five years later and she died in 1996.
Then came Kathy in 1982. The couple, who had a daughter, worked at Pontins as bluecoats with Shane Richie.
Ron then wed Sue in 1986 and had two boys. But she threw him out 11 years later.
Usha from Singapore was next to tie the knot with him in 1999, followed by Wan in 2003 and Weng a year later.
Ron's longest marriage was 13 years and the shortest just 10 months.
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