Katie Price has had a rough few years having faced bankruptcy, toxic splits and a stint in rehab. And last week, Katie let her hair down as she hit the town with Geordie Shore girls Chloe Ferry and Sophie Kasaei, where she writhed around in a taxi as they headed to a party.
Chloe, 28, filmed herself to tell fans that pal Katie – who has been in an on/off relationship with Carl Woods – is “single”, saying, “She is looking fire!” Katie, 43, added, “We’ll be having a good night tonight girls!” before grinding on a car seat.
The group were then seen FaceTiming Katie’s teenage daughter Princess, 16, with Sophie, 34, not holding back on the expletives, saying of Princess, “She’s a f***ing supermodel in the making!”
Katie’s wild night out came just a week after her cosy New Year’s Eve night in with close pal Kerry Katona – with Katie posting a selfie of them together captioned, “Here’s to fresh beginnings”. Kerry later said the pair watched boxsets and had a sleepover, adding, “It was nice to see Katie in a good place”.
But now insiders tell Closer that Kerry, 45, is adamant that she wants to keep her pal in a good place to avoid her spiralling as she has done in the past. A source says, “Kerry and Katie both had a great time together on New Year’s Eve. They’ve been in touch for a while now and became really close again in the run-up to Christmas. Kerry loved seeing her looking and feeling so well.
“Katie’s night out with Chloe has left many of her mates raising their eyebrows. In the past, when she’s been single, Katie has been known to go a bit wild as a bit of a coping mechanism, so pals are hoping she won’t be heading into trouble again. Kerry has really been encouraging Katie to slow down a bit and look after herself.
“Over the years, Kerry has always been a rock to Katie and one of the few people she really trusts. Katie can confide in her knowing she won’t gossip. Kerry just wants to make sure she surrounds herself with the right people and stays on the right track.
“Katie leans quite heavily on Kerry for support and guidance and Kerry wants to help Katie continue to turn her life around this year. Katie had some low moments in 2023 and it’s heartbreaking that she doesn’t seem to be able to move on.”
The pair – who both shot to fame in the ’90s – became friends in 2004 after meeting on I’m A Celebrity! – where Kerry was crowned Jungle Queen and Katie met her first husband, Peter Andre. Kerry acted as their bridesmaid the following year, but their friendship hasn’t always been smooth sailing.
In 2007, Katie branded Kerry – who has now been clean for over a decade – a “druggie”, while Kerry said Katie had “crossed the line” with too much plastic surgery following her face lift in 2018.
Despite their occasional slanging matches, Katie – mum to Harvey, 21, Junior, 18, Princess, 16, Jett, 10, and Bunny, nine, and Kerry, who is mum to Molly, 22, Lilly-Sue, 20, Heidi, 16, Max, 15, and DJ, nine – have always supported each other through their darkest moments.
Following Katie’s terrifying robbery and rape during a trip filming her reality series in South Africa in 2018, Kerry came out to publicly support her friend when she went to rehab for PTSD and drug addiction. Kerry, who has also been to rehab twice for addiction, said at the time, “Katie’s one of my best friends and she’s going through a tough time. She needs help right now, not criticism.”
Over the years, Kerry’s escaped her demons and is healthy and happily loved-up with fiancé Ryan Mahoney, living at the Cheshire mansion she rents after making millions through OnlyFans.
However, while Kerry turned things around, Katie came dangerously close to losing her life in 2021 when she overturned her Land Rover while driving under the influence of alcohol and cocaine. The incident saw her check into rehab for a second time.
Now our source says Kerry, who’s been married three times, to Brian McFadden, Mark Croft and the late George Kay, is ready to help Katie – even if that means dishing out some stern words of wisdom.
The insider adds, “Kerry doesn’t take any rubbish. She will always be blunt, honest and candid with advice and feedback. Katie needs that at times. She really looks up to Kerry. She admires the way she’s sorted out her life and the job she’s doing as a working mum. Kerry’s a really good influence on Katie.”
Alongside recently losing three stone and dropping from a size 16 to a size 8, Kerry – who was declared bankrupt in 2008 and 2013 – announced last year that she had become a “billionaire” through posting her racy pictures on subscription service OnlyFans.
Meanwhile, Katie has reportedly been “dodging” her legal hearings after being declared bankrupt in 2019, and is now proclaiming she is “single”, seemingly having split from fiancé Carl after four years.
Now the source says Katie – who has also been married three times, to Peter Andre, Alex Reid and Kieran Hayler – is hoping that she can follow in Kerry’s footsteps and find a new man to settle down with.
The insider adds, “She really admires the way Kerry found a stable relationship with Ryan, which is something that has always eluded her but which she’d love to have.”