She’s the envy of many women at the moment, having bagged Bolton funeral director Freddie Powellon the debut series of Love Is Blind UK. As the series comes to an end, ahead of the Reunion show on 26 August, here’s everything we know about Catherine 'Cat' Richards.
How old is Catherine?
Cat is 30 years old. She was 29 when Love Is Blind UK was filmed last year.
What is Catherine’s job?
Cat, who grew up in Jersey, works as a dental nurse and swimming coach, teaching children with Down’s syndrome - which she and Freddie, whose brother has the condition, bonded over. Her Instagram profile says she’s also a dancer and performer.
Is Catherine adopted?
Catherine spoke out about being adopted by her parents Alison and John on the show. ‘Growing up I was like, “Oh, it never really bothered me,” and then as I got later 20s, I was like looking in the mirror, and obviously I was just like, “Who am I?” she told Freddie during their date. “And I always see families and what they look like. And I never really knew what I looked like.”
She admitted that men found her ‘sensitive’ because of her upbringing and has never met someone who understand how her adoption has shaped her life and impacted her relationships.
What is Catherine’s Instagram?
Catherine’s Instagram profile is @catrichards94 where there are a lot of photos of her looking tanned.
Has Catherine been on another reality show?
Catherine has courted reality TV before, appearing on ITV2’s Ibiza Weekender in 2019. She had flown out to the Spanish island to surprise her old flame, holiday rep Callum Izzard – who branded her ‘a psycho ex-girlfriend’ – only to discover that he had already moved on.
Who did Catherine connect with on Love Is Blind UK?
Catherine had a spark with both software salesman Ollie Sutherland and funeral director Freddie Powell, but broke things off with Ollie to pursue a relationship with Freddie.
Are Catherine and Freddie still together?
From day one, Catherine and Freddie got on well as they bonded over their family values, fitness and more – while she was also connecting with Ollie in the pods stage. When Catherine and Ollie decided to end their bond, she focused on Freddie, who soon proposed and off they went to Corfu.
The couple grew closer while they were abroad, cementing their physical connection when they revealed they had sex twice in Greece. Problems arose once they returned to England and started to think seriously about the future.
During a chat, Freddie admitted that he had previously cheated but said he wasn’t proud of his past behaviour. ‘I came into this experiment saying, “I’m going to be truthful, I’m going be honest, I’m going to be me”,’ he told Cat. ‘It’s a massive regret in my life and I wish it never happened, and I’ve thought about it loads, loads.’
His admission sparked doubts in Cat’s mind over their upcoming marriage. ‘I’ve always been the one to say, “One’s a cheat, always a cheat” and I kind of stick by that. It does worry me,’ she said. ‘I’ve been cheated on in every relationship.’
Freddie’s suggestion of getting a prenuptial agreement didn’t go well with Cat, who he dubbed ‘high maintenance’. ‘We’re talking about when we get married, if we get married, and he’s decided he wants a prenup. Should I be worried?’ she said to her friends. ‘He’s said that his house will go to his sister.’
He has his doubts too, ahead of their big day. ‘I’ve formed this connection with Cat and I do love her and ultimately, I do want to marry the girl. Doubts are, we are different in some aspects, I think,’ Freddie said. ‘I do think she’s a little bit [high-maintenance]. I do worry that our lifestyles are a little bit different. I’ve never dated a girl like that.’ He later said, ‘Since the pods, we’ve had ups and downs. We have had lots of disagreements.’
Cat furiously denied that she is ‘materialistic’, telling him, ‘I don’t live this life and it’s starting to piss me off.’
Despite their issues, the couple still have strong feelings for each other.
‘Despite that little blip, he is… I’ve never met a guy like him. Like, genuinely, he is brilliant,’ Cat said before their big day. ‘But are we planning a wedding together or are we not? I don’t want him to have these doubts coming so close to the wedding.’
Freddie said, ‘I want it to be 100 percent sure for Cat, that I’m ready to say, ‘Yeah, I do’. There are a few things I need to work on and clarify in my mind. I just want it to be right. I want to be 100 percent. I don’t want to get divorced. I want it to be perfect. I want it to be right. My feelings for Cat are real. I do care a lot about her. She means a lot to me. The emotions I’ve developed with her are true.’
Are Catherine and Freddie married?
On their big day, Cat said ‘I do’ to Freddie, only for him to reject her to gasps and tears amongst her friends and family. 'That's her biggest fear,' her mum said.
‘I love you Cat, but the timing might not be right for us,’ Freddie told her at the altar. ‘This isn't a goodbye. It isn't a rejection of the love we share. There's still mountains left for us to climb and lessons for us to learn before fully embracing a lifelong commitment.’
While he hopes that they can work through their obstacles, Cat has her doubts. ‘I said yes because I found the person I want to spend my life with. It’s nice to hear he still wants to be with me, but actions speak louder than words right now,’ she admitted. ‘I love him, but I don’t know.'