Inside Ricky Hatton's family life - from lookalike son to tragic fallout with parents

Ricky Hatton, known asThe Hitman, has left the boxing world in mourning after it emerged that he had been found dead at his home. He sadly leaves behind his three children: Campbell, 24, Millie, 13, and Fearne, 12.

Crowned a world champion in 2005, the boxing legend won titles at light-welterweight and welterweight before retiring in 2011 with a record of 45 wins and two defeats. During his career, the 46 year old openly spoke about his struggle with depression and alcohol and spent time in a rehabilitation clinic.

Earlier this year, Hatton announced his comeback bout after more than a decade out of boxing, and was set to take on United Arab Emirates boxer Eisa Al Dah in Dubai on December 2. Tragically, on Sunday, 14 September, Greater Manchester Police confirmed a body had been discovered at Hatton's residence and that the death was not being treated as suspicious.

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A spokesperson said: "We can confirm that we have found a body at an address on Bowlacre Road in Gee Cross at 6.45am today, Sunday, September 14. The death is not being treated as suspicious."

Here, we take a look at his family life, including his beloved children, whom he sadly leaves behind.

Hatton grew up on a council estate in Hyde, Manchester. After having trials for Rochdale football club, he joined a boxing club in order to defend himself from bullies at school.

His younger brother Matthew, 44, also fought professionally and held the European welterweight title from 2010 to 2011. However, it was Ricky who went on to become a household name.

The boxer encountered many tough challenges outside of the ring. He faced mental health struggles and had a rocky relationship with his parents, Carol and Ray Hatton, following a reported row over money. In September 2012, Ray Hatton, then 61, was arrested on suspicion of assaulting his son.

He was given a police caution following the incident outside his son's Greater Manchester gym on Market Street, Hyde. It is understood that Ricky Hatton had to protect himself during a heated row in the car park, but was not injured.

Hatton 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'."

Hatton reconciled with his parents in 2019 but the fragile relationship was hit again - following the release of Sky documentary 'Hatton'.

His mum, Carol, shared a letter with the Mail Online in 2023 that she had written. She 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'."

Hatton began his own family at the tender age of 22.

In 2001, Hatton’s eldest son Campbell was born following a short-lived reconciliation with Hatton’s ex-girlfriend Claire. He later became a father to Millie and Fearne during his relationship with former fiancée Jennifer Dooley.

Ricky also had a granddaughter named Lyla. He and Jennifer split in 2016.

His son Campbell, 24, followed his father’s footsteps and made his professional boxing debut in 2021. He recorded his first knockout victory over Attila Csereklye later that year.

Campbell won all of his opening 14 fights before back-to-back defeats at the hands of James Flint in 2024. He appointed his father as his trainer in March, but four months later, it was confirmed that Hatton junior had hung up his boxing gloves.

Ricky was most recently in a relationship with actress Claire Sweeney. The pair became close 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."

The pair have known each other for years. Hatton added: "It's amazing [to find] someone you’ve probably known for 25 years. I've been in relationships and she's been in relationships. I've had my kids and she's had her kids. And then 25 years later we found each other. It's quite a nice story."

They soon split afterwards, but Claire previously said: "We’re still friends, we were friends, we dated and now we’re friends again. It’s all good."