56-year-old serial bride Pat has married for the ninth time, this time with store worker Mark Sanderson, 24, and the pair held an engagement party in Newcastle on Thursday night, reports The Sun.
Horrified friends say Mark, who has moved in with Pat, is besotted with her - even though she's seven years older than his mother.
One added: "It's his first proper girlfriend and he's fallen head over heels. But he's ended up with someone who eats younger men for breakfast."
Naive Mark may be a novice in the ways of love. But Pat has plenty of experience at tieing the knot - even if in her case it's usually a slip-knot.
She had been wed three times before Mark was born, marrying her first husband back in 1974. Her shortest marriage lasted five days.
The longest was a marathon five years. All her hubbies have been younger than her.
Pat, whose five children have all been adopted, snared her first four spouses at Gateshead register office.
But when she married No5 the venue was wearing a bit thin. As was the carpet, presumably.
So she opted for a change of scenery at Newcastle register office.
Pat, who had three of her kids by two lovers, insists she is just an old romantic at heart. The Sun first revealed her bizarre marry-go-round when she was about to wed No6.
When that relationship ended in disaster, she admitted she was on the hunt for a new toyboy. She said: "I'm hooked on marriage.
"But men my own age are boring and I'm certainly not ready for the shawl and hot milk just yet."
Pat and Mark, who met in November, were last night celebrating with a Goth-themed party in Newcastle.
But Mark's horrified mum Jennifer and stepdad Stephen snubbed the do.
A friend said: "No one in his family is happy and it's no surprise.
"Like any mother, Jennifer was hoping her son would have a lovely big wedding, a happy family occasion.
"They knew she had a bit of a background but they had no idea she'd been married eight times before.
"His mum and stepdad pleaded and tried to make him see sense but it's hard to tell a lad of that age."
Pat and Mark refused to talk about their engagement on Thursday.
