67-year-old Man to be Married for the 9th Time as He Proposes to His 27-year-old Sweetheart (Photos)

He gave his would-be wife this beautiful ring

Britain's most married man is engaged to would-be wife number nine even though both of them are still married.

Ron Sheppard, 67, fell for Filipino call centre worker Cristel Marquez - who is 40 years his junior - after chatting her up online. The couple first met over ten years ago, when Cristel was 15 or 16 and part of a group of friends, while he was married to Wan (wife number seven) and living in Thailand.Ron's current wife Weng (wife number 8), 36, gave him the boot after 11 years of marriage because of his antics on a trip to the Far East in November, when he shared a bed with a young female masseuse.

He has now moved on and proposed to mum-of-one Cristel, 27, on New Year's Eve and intends to adopt her seven-year-old son Miggs.

Ron looks happy as ever with his new damsel

Ron, who is still sharing a house with Weng in Martock, Somerset, said his "quickie divorce" will be through in May - the same time as Cristel's annulment.

He said: “I was invited out there for Christmas to spend it with her family. She is absolutely adoring and very, very caring.

“She looked after me so well when I was over there. With my Parkinson's she took really good care of me - she even showered me to make sure I was ok.”

Ron has spent 44 of the last 47 years married and his longest union lasted 13 years and the shortest was just 10 months.

He admitted he started messaging other women nine months ago via a dating website but claimed he "didn't know what he was doing" due to medication he takes for Parkinson's.

Cristel said: "I want to marry Ron - definitely. He is a very loving person and so sweet. I'm attracted to him. I've fallen in love with him.

"I know about Ron being married eight times before and it doesn't matter to me. He's really honest and it's already passed so it's the past."

Ron's record:

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

Wife No. 2: Jeanette, 1973. Lasted one year.

Wife No.3: Lesley, 1976. Had two boys. Ron left in 1981.

Wife No.4: Kathy, 1982. Had one daughter.

Wife No.5: Sue, 1986. They had two sons, but she threw him out in 1997.

Wife No.6: Usha, 1999. Ended after four years.

Wife No.7: Wan, 2003. She left to go home to Bangkok after eight months.

Wife No.8: Weng, 2004. Split up in November and planning to get divorced.

Wife-to-be No.9: Cristel. Engaged on New Year's Eve. Planning to marry in September.

Source: The Sun