Ryan Phelan enjoys a few beers and cosies up to new girlfriend at 46th birthday

Ryan Phelan appeared in good spirits as he celebrated his 46th birthday on Saturday.

The former Daily Edition host enjoyed a few beers with his pals and kept close to his glamorous new girlfriend Sarah Wade at the Royal Oak Hotel in Sydney’s Double Bay.

Ryan, who was dropped by Channel Seven in June last year, cut a smart casual figure in a white dress shirt, a blue suit jacket and dark pants.

Sarah, who works as a sports manager, looked elegant in a black ensemble and styled her brunette locks out and wavy.

She enhanced her striking facial features with glamorous makeup, and engaged in friendly banter with her beau and their pals. 

Their pals included dating columnist Jana Hocking, who slipped her figure into a blue knit top and a black leather skirt, and styled her blonde locks out and straight.

The mood was certainly jovial, with a female pal seen giving Ryan a warm embrace.

At one stage, Jana appeared to be showing Ryan a photo of a lingerie-clad blonde on someone’s iPhone.

It was reported by the Sydney Morning Herald last month that Ryan had begun dating Sarah, after they were spotted looking ‘loved up’ at The Star Championships race day in Sydney the previous month.  

Sarah is the owner of sports management company Swade Management. 

Ryan was sacked by the Seven Network in June last year after being charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault. 

The charges – which were subsequently dropped – followed an alleged assault against his then-fiancée, ballet teacher Chelsea Franklin.  

Police alleged Ryan had assaulted Chelsea at their Frenchs Forest house, on Sydney’s northern beaches, on June 20.

Chelsea said she was ‘shocked and scared’ after the alleged incident but never wanted police to lay charges. 

‘The police said it was assault and then it snowballed from there… I said look, I didn’t want charges and they were like well, we are doing this for your protection,’ she told the Daily Telegraph in November.

Ryan presented himself at Manly police station where officers charged him with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.

He ’emphatically denied’ the charges and pleaded not guilty.  

Police prosecutors later dropped the charges in Manly Local Court in September. 

Following the court case, Ryan described how his ‘world imploded’ when he discovered his ex-fiancée had accused him of domestic violence.

‘That initial moment (of being accused of assault) and what followed, it’s been a daily battle with mental health and finding the strength to deal with these things because so much is just out of your control,’ he told 2GB previously.

‘Obviously when I learnt what had been alleged, I willingly spoke to police to give them the version of events. 

‘I probably did so thinking that it would be cleared up then and there, but it didn’t transpire that way.’

He said that while he always knew he was going to be ‘on the right side of this’, it was still a drawn out and painful process.

Ryan added he felt relief when charges were finally dropped.