A source told The Sun: “They actually met through their youngest offspring and went on a few playdates as pals, before romance blossomed. 

“Katie is a beautiful woman, fiercely independent and just Nick’s type.”

He was forced to hit back at cruel trolls who sent him abuse over their age gap relationship and accused Katie of being after his money.

“The woman I was out to dinner with when we were papped is 32, has degrees in two subjects, runs three businesses, is a mother of two and is wealthier and more successful than me,” he wrote on Twitter. 

“And she is intelligent and independent, unlike the abusive trolls attacking her.”