Children’s TV star Katy Ashworth has found new happiness with a carpenter she met on the set of a panto after a bitter custody battle with her ex who accused her of ‘kidnapping’ her young son.
The popular CBeebies presenter is now living with joinery firm boss Mark Cooper, MailOnline can reveal.
They live in Stretford, Greater Manchester, with the BBC host’s four-year-old son who was at the centre of a public tug-of-love row two years ago.
TV star Katy Ashworth, who was accused of ‘kidnapping’ her young son in a bitter custody battle with her ex-partner, has found love again with a carpenter she met during panto
The popular CBeebies host fought a high profile court battle with the father of her son but has now found happiness with joinery firm boss Mark Cooper (pictured), MailOnline can reveal
Ms Ashworth and her Australian film director former partner Ben Alcott (pictured) were involved in a custody battle over their son Charlie
Katy won the custody battle for her son, (above) and now posts on Twitter about the joy of parenting and wading through tiny pieces of Playmobil together
A friend of the couple said today: ‘Katy has found happiness with Mark. She’s been through a tough ordeal over the past few years but she’s finally moving on and we’re all so pleased for her.
‘She gives a lot of joy to other people and deserves a happy life herself.’
As the star prepares for a day of fun in Saturday with her young fans in Sussex, her boyfriend told MailOnline: ‘We’re together and we just want to get on with our lives.’
Surrey-born Katy, 31, met Mark several years ago while she was starring in a Christmas show for which he had built the set.
But the couple only moved into their cosy home, not far from the CBeebies studio at Salford Quays, last summer.
As Katy, who got a first in drama from Exeter University, appears ‘blissfully happy’ in her family life, according to pals, she is also equally content at work.
The avid social media user – who posts about her son and job but keeps her relationship with Mark low key – Tweeted last week: ‘I’ve literally had the most fun in the CBeebies house over the last few days.
Surrey-born Katy, 31, met Mark several years ago while she was starring in a Christmas show for which he had built the set but the couple only moved into their cosy home, not far from the CBeebies studio at Salford Quays, last summer
As Katy, who got a first in drama from Exeter University, appears ‘blissfully happy’ in her family life, according to pals, she is also equally content at work. Pictured: All part of a day’s work at Cbeebies
The avid social media user – who posts about her son and job but keeps her relationship with Mark low key – Tweeted last week: ‘I’ve literally had the most fun in the CBeebies house over the last few days. The entire team is like one big friendly family’
‘The entire team is like one big friendly family and I feel soaked in goodness and gratitude for every single one of them.’
She also describes happy family scenes to her 27,000 followers: ‘My life at 8pm on a Saturday night. It’s Play Mobil with my son and usually spend evening searching the living room floor for swords, axes, bows, helmets and shields.’
Katy, whose bright and breezy, easygoing, girl next door personality endears her to millions of children and parents across the country, busies herself with work, family life and social commitments.
A pal said: ‘She is trying her best to put the past behind her.’
Katy has been encouraging her followers to ‘join in the fun’ as she is due to host an interactive singing and dancing show at Burgess Hill School junior and nursery open day on Saturday.
Katy met Australian film director Ben Alcott in Africa on the Good Food and Wine Show in September 2010 and they became a couple the following year.
On May 18 2013 Katy announced on Twitter that she was pregnant and her son was born in October 2013.
In September 2016 the pair were involved in a high profile international tug of love ordeal.
Initially a court order prevented the actress from being named and she was simply referred to as a mystery BBC star. The ID ban was overturned by a judge at London’s High Court after her victory.
Ms Ashworth is now living with joiner Mark Cooper (right) after splitting with Ben Alcott (left), who has a new partner and lives in Australia
Katy had planned to move to Australia to be with Ben and travelled there in April 2016 for a ‘trial period’. But on discovery of his multiple affairs she brought her son back to the UK
Ruling in the star’s favour, the judge said: ‘I found the mother’s evidence to be clear and consistent and supported by the documents. I found the father’s evidence to be inconsistent, unreliable and unconvincing’
Katy was cleared of abducting her then toddler son from Australia – a claim brought by Ben.
She had given evidence stating she had discovered her partner had been cheating on her with four other women when she briefly moved to NSW with her son to be with Ben.
She had planned to move to Australia to be with her partner and travelled there in April 2016 for a ‘trial period’. But on discovery of his multiple affairs she brought her son back to the UK.
Ben then forced a family court battle over where the child lived, claiming the youngster was ‘habitually resident’ in Australia.
A family court judge in Britain later ruled in Katy’s favour, meaning the boy could stay with her.
Judge Alex Verdan, in the High Court’s family division, concluded that the child was not wrongfully removed from Australia by the star, who had always been his primary carer.
He said: ‘The father says this was a permanent move. The mother says it was a trial attempt to see if their relationship would work out long term.’
Katy and her son stayed at her partner’s for three nights and returned to the UK shortly afterwards.
The judge added: ‘The main reason the mother left Australia was that she discovered material on the father’s computer which indicated to her his infidelity.’
He said the star had emailed her partner saying: ‘Ben, I know everything. I’m done. Have packed up and left.’
She emailed again, after arriving back in the UK, adding: ‘Thank goodness I found out all the lies before moving to Australia with you for good.’
Judge Verdan said she had discovered evidence suggesting that he was having relationships with four other women. She had found ‘women’s clothing’ and ‘more importantly’ messages on his computer from other females, the court heard.
The film director accepted that ‘on any reckoning’ his personal life was ‘very complicated’ and said it was ‘very difficult to balance the different female interests in his life’ as his ‘decks were very crowded.’
Ruling in the star’s favour, Judge Verdan stated: ‘I found the mother’s evidence to be clear and consistent and supported by the documents. I found the father’s evidence to be inconsistent, unreliable and unconvincing.’
Speaking from Australia, Ben, 44, who now has a new partner, told MailOnline: ‘My lawyer told me last summer as part of the contact arrangements Katy had relocated to Manchester from Hampshire with her partner and our son’
The judge added: ‘My conclusion is that any agreement by the mother to move to Australia was based on a fundamentally flawed premise.
‘If the mother had known the true state of affairs I am satisfied that in all likelihood she would not have moved to Australia with the child even for a trial period.
‘I concluded that the child was not integrated to a sufficient degree in a social and family environment in Australia and that the mother was probably not integrated at all. The child had not put down roots.
‘The mother did not wrongfully remove the child from Australia.’
Speaking from Australia, Ben, 44, who now has a new partner, said he flies to London every four to six weeks and recently enjoyed speaking to his son on FaceTime – one of two weekly phone talks.
He told MailOnline: ‘My lawyer told me last summer as part of the contact arrangements Katy had relocated to Manchester from Hampshire with her partner and our son.’
MailOnline has approached Katy for a comment.