Britain’s most married man, 71, calls off his engagement to would-be wife number nine

Britain’s most married man, Ron Sheppard (pictured), has called off his engagement to would-be wife number nine

Britain’s most married man has called off his engagement to would-be wife number nine, who he had never actually met, because he said it did not feel right.

Ron Sheppard, 71, from Somerton, Somerset, proposed to Rose Hans, 30, last month after a year-long romance that was sparked by a message she sent him online. 

The pair had never met in person but the father-of-eight had hoped to tie the knot in February 2020 after she had completed a nursing course in Ghana, nearly 5,000 miles away.

But the retired entertainments manager has now revealed that he pulled the plug on the upcoming nuptials via email at the last minute.

Ron said: ‘We were supposed to meet on Friday. It didn’t feel like the right thing for me to do – especially when you don’t really love someone.

‘She was doing all the pushing. It didn’t feel right in my heart. My love was always in a different place.

‘Of course, she was upset and all that – but I expected a pleading email and I didn’t get that. She said she couldn’t take phone calls as she’s in Ghana.’

Ron, who his friends have nicknamed ‘Lord of the Wedding Rings’ because he has tied the knot so many times, now plans to write a book about relationships.

He said: ‘I want to give myself some time – but people have asked me what I would do [about their problems] before.’

Rose Hans (pictured) had hoped to marry Ron after completing a nursing course in Ghana, nearly 5,000 miles away

Rose Hans (pictured) had hoped to marry Ron after completing a nursing course in Ghana, nearly 5,000 miles away

Ron had previously spoken about his engagement to Rose positively. 

He said: ‘Age is just numbers and I don’t care she is more than half my age… I haven’t told my family yet but they know what I’m like. 

‘She’ll be a great companion and being a nurse will help me in my old age. This one will definitely see me out.

‘She doesn’t ask for anything from me – but I have given her a few pounds for her gran.’ 

Ron (pictured with wife number eight Weng) revealed that he pulled the plug on the upcoming nuptials via email at the last minute

Ron (pictured with wife number eight Weng) revealed that he pulled the plug on the upcoming nuptials via email at the last minute

Ron told MailOnline at the time that the pair would properly start planning their wedding after Rose was in the UK and had secured a job but admitted it has been a ‘bit of a quickie’. 

Before Rose, he had planned to wed Cristel Marquez-Lalic, 33, but their romance ended abruptly in 2017 when she had to leave the country after overstaying her visa. 

Ron believed Cristel had left him for another man and called the Border Agency to tip them off.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror at the time, he said: ‘I’m devastated, I did everything for that girl and she does a runner, I feel like such a mug.

‘We had no love life, nothing whatsoever because she insisted she was a committed Christian and did not believe in sex before marriage. 

‘She hated my Norman Wisdom impressions, she had no idea who he was. She’d just sit there with her earphones in taking selfies and I’d have to shout her name just to get her to look at me.’ 

Ron first married Margaret in 1966. The pair had three children and divorced after two years

He wed bride number three, Lesley, in 1976

Ron first married Margaret, together on their wedding day in 1966 (left). The pair had three children and divorced after two years. He wed bride number three, Lesley (right), in 1976

Ron with his fourth wife Kathy, who met in a holiday camp before they married in 1982. They had a daughter and lasted four years

Ron with his fourth wife Kathy, who met in a holiday camp before they married in 1982. They had a daughter and lasted four years

But he became suspicious when she lost her engagement ring and started making friends and going out more.

Ron then went into her room and noticed she had taken all of her luggage with her.

He said: ‘A friend has told me she met another man since she has been here and is now with him. I am devastated beyond words.

‘I loved that woman with all my heart. But I thought it was for the best I phoned the police and the Border Agency just in case she was trying to stay illegally.’  

Ron's fifth wife, Sue, whom he met in a bingo hall and married in 1986. They had two sons but she threw him out in 1997

Ron’s fifth wife, Sue, whom he met in a bingo hall and married in 1986. They had two sons but she threw him out in 1997

Ron met Wan in Bangkok in 2003 and married that year (pictured together at their wedding)

His last marriage was in 2004 to Weng. The couple were together for 11 years and split in 2015

Ron married wife number Wan seven in 2003 (left) and his last marriage in 2004 was to Weng, (right) which lasted for 11 years until the pair split in 2015

Ron’s longest union lasted 13 years with the shortest lasting just 10 months. 

He was just 19 when he tied the knot with first wife Margaret in 1966 and the pair had two children together before divorcing two years later.

He then met second wife Jeanette in a Kingston bingo hall and they wed in 1973, but it lasted one year. 

Ron Sheppard’s wives 

Wife No 1: Margaret in 1966. Had three children and divorced after two years.

Wife No 2: Jeanette, married in 1973 and divorced after just one year together. Ron later described the union as a ‘business transaction’.

Wife No 3: Lesley, wed in 1976. He left five years later following a string of arguments. The couple have two sons.

Wife No 4: Kathy, met in a holiday camp and they married in 1982. They had a daughter and lasted four years.

Wife No 5: Sue, met in a bingo hall and married in 1986. They had two sons but she threw him out in 1997.

Wife No 6: Usha, wed in 1999. They split after four years when Ron cheated on her in Thailand.

Wife No 7: Wan, met in Bangkok in 2003 and married that year. The pair were in the UK for just eight months when Wan left him and returned home.

Wife No 8: Weng, married in 2004. The pair met online and Sheppard flew out to the Philippines. The couple were together for 11 years and split in 2015. 

Ron has since described the marriage as a ‘business transaction’ which enabled them to receive a bigger house from the council.

Shortly after their divorce, Ron met third wife Lesley and in 1976 they tied the knot. 

They went on to have two children together and he said he thought she ‘was for keeps’, but he left five years later following a string of arguments.

He then meet 18-year-old blonde Kathy at Pontins holiday camp in Somerset and the pair married in 1982. 

They had a daughter together and lasted four years, despite Ron claiming it was a ‘rebound relationship’ following his split from Lesley.

He met fifth wife Sue at a bingo hall. Despite admitting he was not ‘swept off his feet by her’, he moved in to her two-bedroom home and they married in 1986. 

They had two sons together but she threw him out when he was offered a job in Bournemouth.

He then went on to marry Usha in 1999, after the pair met while he was on a stop-off trip to Singapore. They lasted four years but split after Ron cheated on her during a holiday alone to Thailand.

With divorce number six behind him, he met seventh wife Wan in Bangkok in 2003 during a trip to visit an old friend, but it only lasted for eight months. 

His last marriage was to Weng, who Ron met online and then flew to the Philippines to see. They married on the Isle of Wight in 2004 and split in 2015.

The father-of-eight had planned to marry Cristel Lalec (pictured together) in 2017 but she is thought to have run off with another man

The father-of-eight had planned to marry Cristel Lalec (pictured together) in 2017 but she is thought to have run off with another man 

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