The former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton, 46, has been found dead at his home. The British fighter, who won several world titles and was known as 'The Hitman' throughout his career, was reportedly found at his home in Greater Manchester on Sunday morning. Greater Manchester police (GMP) said a body was found at an address in Hyde. A spokesperson for GMP said there are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.
As tributes pour in for the boxer, who retired in 2012 before going on to speak openly about his struggles with depression and alcohol, find out all we know about his family life, including a fall-out with his parents and comments he's made about his relationship with them.
© Getty ImagesRicky's relationship with his parents
In 2012, Ricky fell out with his parents, Carol and Ray, over money, which resulted in a confrontation with his father in a car park. He recalled the moment in his autobiography, War and Peace: My Story, which was released in 2014, revealing that his father punched him in the face during a heated argument.
Ricky was estranged from his parents for years, before he eventually offered an olive branch. He told the Manchester Evening News in 2019: "Ultimately, when I fell out with my parents, I hit rock bottom. I didn't care whether I lived or died, to be honest with you. A few of my school friends are the same age as me, their parents were having heart attacks, and I was going to their funerals. And I thought to myself, 'I'm 40 now, I'm at an age where our parents might not be here much longer'. So if their parents are getting ill and passing away and all that, it's not going to be long before mine go. I just made the effort to think, 'listen, you know, let bygones be bygones, leave things in the past. That's it'."
© Getty ImagesIn 2023, Ricky's relationship with his family appeared to break down again when a documentary about the former world champion boxer's life was released, including allegations made by Ricky's former trainer, Billy Graham, who accused Ray of short-changing him over fight purses.
Sharing a letter she wrote with the Mail Online in 2023, Carol said: "I must've rewrote this letter, changed it time and time again, not wanting anyone to think that I was slating my son. Every time I read it, I still get upset because I'm hurting. Me and Ray are on our last lap. Nobody knows what's around the corner. How would he feel if anything happened to either of us? There's an old saying, 'If he can't come see me when I'm alive, don't come when I'm dead with your tears'."
Ricky's family life
Ricky leaves behind him three children: Campbell, 24, Millie, 13, and Fearne, 12. Ricky welcomed his first child, Campbell, who retired from boxing earlier this year, with his former partner Claire, and later became a father to Millie and Fearne during his relationship with former fiancée Jennifer Dooley. Ricky also had a granddaughter named Lyla.
Ricky was most recently linked to actress Claire Sweeney. The pair got together after they both appeared on the 2024 season of Dancing on Ice. Claire previously said of their romance: "We always passed each other at events, we did a TV show together, first of all I met him in La Manga in the early 2000s and then we did dance for Comic Relief together in 2013 and then met on Dancing On Ice. It's been great."
© InstagramIt was reported that the pair went their separate ways towards the end of 2024. Opening up about their split in December last year, Claire told MailOnline: "I'm great - we're still friends, we were friends, we dated and now we're friends again. It's all good!"
