Sharon Horgan has spoken candidly about the uncertainty she felt after becoming single in her 50s, while reflecting on her unexpected relationship with a younger partner.
Horgan, 56, was previously married to businessman Jeremy Rainbird from 2005 until their divorce in 2019. They have two daughters, Sadhbh and Amer.
Speaking to the Irish Times, Horgan described the experience of finding herself single later in life as difficult.
She said she had created a “fake ticking clock” for herself, placing pressure on her romantic life similar to the pressure women can experience around biological fertility.
She also questioned how she would meet a partner at her age and worried that dating might leave her encountering people she did not connect with.
Her comments reflected the uncertainty she experienced rather than a permanent view of relationships later in life.
Horgan later found herself in an unexpected relationship with a younger partner. During an appearance on Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s Dinner’s On Me podcast, she revealed that the age difference is nine years.
Horgan said the pair first met while working on a film several years earlier. The supplied material identifies that project as the 2020 movie Dating Amber, in which they played a married couple.
She later cast him in Bad Sisters, explaining that the decision was based on his acting ability rather than their eventual relationship.
Her partner is widely believed to be Barry Ward, who plays DI Fergal Loftus in the Apple TV+ series, although Horgan has not publicly named him in the supplied material.
In August 2025, Horgan publicly confirmed that she was happy in a steady relationship. She said meeting someone with whom she could laugh and connect had been surprising, particularly after experiencing single life again at her age.
