Just two months after saying she felt “on top of the world” following her engagement to boyfriend Ryan Mahoney, Kerry Katona broke down in tears last week as she discussed her unconventional childhood, days after she hit out at cruel online bullies.
In an emotional video on her YouTube channel, the ex-Atomic Kitten singer burst into tears as she spoke about not knowing her biological dad, and how she’d wished for someone to “come and rescue me from this life” as a child.
It came just days after Kerry was left at breaking point by social-media trolls, who criticised her appearance on TV show Tipping Point last week, despite her going on it to selflessly raise money for charity.
Hitting back at the cruel remarks – which saw her name trending on Twitter as some viewers labelled her “annoying”, and suggested she was back on drugs – the 40 year old tweeted, “I raised money for charity and now I’m being hated on. Honestly I feel sick… I just don’t know what it is that I’ve done so wrong to receive so much hate.
“I’m literally shaking with sadness... no one knows what someone goes through in their own minds and lives. Words hurt! This has really made me feel sad. Real sad.”
Kerry – whose fiancé Ryan is a personal trainer and has helped her get into shape both mentally and physically after years of battling with yo-yo dieting – also revealed she is “devastated” to have gone from a size 6-8 to a 10-12, after enjoying treats during the pandemic.
The spate of blows for Kerry are a far cry from her joy over getting engaged in August during a romantic holiday in Spain. And pals say it’s left those close to the star – who suffers from bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression – rallying around to support her.
The source says, “Kerry was on such a high from the engagement, but now that the buzz is over, she has crashed a bit. With bipolar, you can very easily go from feeling your best to plummeting to your worst, and Kerry isn’t feeling great at the moment. She’s devastated about her weight gain. She knows being a size 12 isn’t big at all, but she’s been working so hard with Ryan recently, she wanted to be at the peak of her fitness. She’s now concentrating on getting her regime back on track, as she knows it helps her feel more positive.”
Just days after Kerry’s emotional post, she shared a picture of herself smiling and trying on a new wig, signalling she was already feeling better.
Check out: Kerry Katona's ex-boyfriends and husbands - where are they now?
Kerry Katona's husbands and boyfriends - where are they now? - slider
Kerry Katona and Brian McFadden
Kerry shot to fame in 1999, as 1/3 of pop band Atomic Kitten. It wasn't long before Kerry was swept into her first high-profile relationship – thanks to a well-timed tour with Irish crooners Westlife.During the tour, Kerry met Brian McFadden. Three months later he asked her to marry him.Shortly after he popped the question, Brian was quoted as saying: "Everything I plan, everything I do, revolves around Kerry. When I wake up in the morning, she's the first person I call."I've written a song about her called Fragile Heart. I write songs for Kerry every day, I get so much emotion thinking about her."It wasn't long before Kerry and Brian welcomed their first child: in August 2001, daughter Molly was born.
Kerry Katona and Brian McFadden
They married in the celebrity wedding of the year in 2002, surrounded by friends, family and a collection of the country's biggest celebrities.Just a year after becoming husband and wife, Kerry and Brian's second daughter, Lily-Sue, was born. But a lavish wedding and two babies weren't enough to keep them together.In 2004 they shocked fans with the announcement of their separation, and to say things didn't end amicably would be an understatement.
Kerry Katona and Brian McFadden
They've both since moved on and Brian admitted to The Irish Sun that his relationship with his ex-wife is the best it has ever been. He explained: "We don't speak about everyday stuff but we do work closely with anything to do with our kids, the same as most separated parents it's always about the kids."Our relationship is the best it has ever been. There are no fights or arguments, it's all good now. It's taken a long time to get there but I'm glad it's like that."
Brian McFadden now
After splitting with Kerry, Brian went on to date Delta Goodrem for seven years, before marrying Vogue Williams in 2011. It was to last though and years after their divorce, he has now moved on to PE teacher Danielle Parkinson.Things appear to be moving in the right direction because after Kerry Katona shared a photo of herself with Danielle, she then told OK! magazine that Brian's new girlfriend is "an absolute diamond".
Kerry Katona and Ziggy aka Zak Lichman
Back in 2007 it was reported that Kerry and Ziggy once dated. A source told Reveal magazine: "Zak loves partying and is a big character on the club scene, so they had a real laugh together. "It didn't last long because Kerry was definitely still on the rebound. She wanted to keep their relationship secret in case she got back together with Brian."However Kez has since denied it, which is a shame because he's fit.
Ziggy aka Zak Lichman now
It's safe to say that long gone are his reality TV days and now Ziggy - who goes by his real name Zac Lichman - is a doorman at a fancy club in the West End.
Kerry Katona and Dan Corsi
Kerry dated Northern Line boyband member Dan Corsi however things didn't work out and they soon split.
Dan Corsi now
Following his days back in the 90s in the boyband Northern Line, Dan is now a DJ.
Kerry Katona and Dave Cunningham
Soon after Kerry was engaged again – this time to Dave Cunningham. However their happiness was short lived, and they split after having huge bust-up in Spain.It was reported at the time that Dave had been seeing his ex-girlfriend behind Kerry's back, leaving her heartbroken.A source told the People: "Because her private life has been made public before, she made a pact not to discuss the split. She is desperately trying to put on a brave face."It's bad enough dealing with a traumatic break-up under normal circumstances never mind dealing with it when you're Kerry Katona."Again it wasn't long before Kerry had found comfort in the arms of a new man.
Dave Cunningham now
Since their split Dave has been pretty M.I.A and despite their breakup it seemed that Kerry was still fond of him. She explained to Closer magazine how close he was to her daughters Molly and Lilly-Sue: "I don't know what Brian's doing from one day to the next - the girls hardly see him."They'd started to call Dave dad. He's so wonderful to the girls. He's been a dad to them and done so many amazing things because their dad isn't around."
Kerry Katona and Mark Croft
Kerry and taxi driver Mark Croft married on Valentine's Day 2007. But their marriage was a controversial one – during their time together, Kerry, who was once worth an estimated £6.8 million, was declared bankrupt.Mark and Kerry have two children together, daughter Heidi and son Maxwell.
Kerry Katona and Mark Croft
It was also during her marriage to Mark that Kerry made her infamous This Morning appearance, when her slurring and erratic behaviour sparked concern with host Phillip Schofield and with viewers.Later it was revealed that Kerry was battling a cocaine addiction, and she's since admitted that she'd go on 'three-day coke binges' with Mark.She said: "I hated my life. I'd lie in bed for three days in a row doing cocaine with Mark. We did coke in our en suite and had a lock on the door. The kids knew if the bathroom door was locked they mustn't come in."
Kerry Katona and Mark Croft
Kerry and Mark split in 2010, two years after she was declared bankrupt, and he later publicly admitted he 'bled her dry'.During an interview with the Daily Star, Kerry confessed she'd almost ended her life while married to Mark.But, she says having the names of her eldest daughters tattooed on her wrists stopped her, as it stopped her from self-harming."If I was ever to do that it would mean cutting through my kids' names. And what a selfish mother I would be to do that. Like any mother, my first love and priority are my children, above everything and everybody."
Kerry Katona and Mark Croft
Following her split from Mark, Kerry attempted to rebuild her media career and avoided high profile relationships for a few years.Kez has recently admitted that just days before she accepted Mark's proposal she begged ex-husband Brian McFadden to take her back. She's said the only reason she married her second husband was because he was her mum's drug dealer and she "thought she was going to get drugs for free."
Mark Croft now
Where is Mark Croft you ask? Well that's a pretty good question actually. Back in 2015 he was caught 'running a £50,000 cannabis farm' but since then he has fallen off the grid.
Kerry Katona and Steve Alce
It seemed things were great between Kerry and Steve Alce after she told Closer magazine: "'I've never felt such love from somebody in my life. Steve is so perfect and I cant believe how lucky I am."We had an amazing time in Dubai but, after two messy marriages, I'm not desperate to get hitched again."But I'd never say never - Steve recently moved in and I finally feel so happy. We get on so well."However a month later she broke up with him. A source told The Sunday People: "She has made her mind up and Steve's pretty gutted. She is a party girl and loves being outrageous whereas he is a gentlemen."Kerry was smitten at first, she loved that he wasn't interested in all the celebrity glitz and glamour."Since then Steve has continued with his career as an artist.
Kerry Katona and George Kay
But in 2013 she met ex-rugby player George Kay, and it wasn't long before she gave birth to their first daughter together, Dylan-Jorge.George proposed to Kerry at the top of the Blackpool Tower in April 2013, and the got married in September 2014.
Kerry Katona George Kay
However shortly before their nuptials, George was detained under the Mental Health Act after having a 'breakdown' outside their home.At the time neighbours said he was 'running in and out of cars' and screaming "Kerry, they're going to f--king kill me. They are hitting me with a hammer."
Kerry Katona George Kay
Just two months after the wedding, it was reported Kerry and George were already on the rocks, and he himself admitted to Closer that marriage to Kerry 'isn't what he thought it would be'.Their marriage was rocked once again in June, when George was hospitalised with 'signs of a stroke'.According to reports, George's behaviour became too much for Kerry to cope with and the couple briefly split.Soon after they seemed to be firmly back on track, with them renewing their wedding vows to 'save the relationship'.
Kerry Katona George Kay
Following a turbulent and alleged violent relationship, George and Kerry wasn't to last and in June 2017 the pair announced they'd split for the final time. Since then, Kerry has revealed she used to drink three BOTTLES of Cava a night during her marriage to George.
George Kay now
Months after serving Kerry Katona with divorce papers, George moved on and begandating Miss Manchester pageant winner Fatime Gashi.George sadly passed away in July 2019 aged 39.
Kerry Katona and James Englgish
Just a few months after her split with her third husband, Kerry moved on to stand up comedian James English. Things got slightly bizarre when he spoke out about their relationship in an interview and said he's "using her" for fame, before describing her as "f--ked up".Riiight.A few months after confirming their relationship, Kerry deleted all traces of James on Instagram and announced they'd split by writing a quote about single life.
James English now
The former Glow star has since launched his own podcast called Anything Goes.
Kerry Katona single
Following her not-so-good-luck with me, Kerry Katona started 2018 single and with an INCREDIBLE body. An insider told Closer magazinethat the mum-of-five is happy being single. They explained: "Kerry has always hopped from one relationship to the next, but something has changed and she's now comfortable without a man. "She doesn't want just anyone - she says she'd rather hold out for someone decent, who respects her and can take care of her and the kids. She's learned her lessons from the past."Go Kerry!
Kerry Katona and Ryan Mahoney
In July 2018, Kerry told her Instagram followers that she was "officially spoken for". Her hunky new beau was fitness instructor Ryan Mahoney. The good looking pair apparently met on dating app Bumble.
Ryan Mahoney
Ryan and Kerry split in October 2018 following a make-or-break holiday in Thailand. Kerry had posted a selfie of her and a fit looking Ryan days after ranting about "fat" Brian McFadden . They reconciled following Kerry's appearance on Celebs Go Dating in 2019.
The source adds, “Kerry’s trying to focus on all the things that make her happy at the moment, despite the cruel knock-backs. She loves just spending time with Ryan and the kids and says she doesn’t want the haters to ruin that.”
Kerry’s mental health struggles have been well-documented. She became hooked on drugs after her mum, Sue, gave her speed at the age of 14. Kerry was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the wake of her first divorce from Westlife’s Brian McFadden – with whom she shares daughters Molly, 18, and Lilly-Sue, 17 – in 2003.
She also went on to have a turbulent second marriage to cabbie Mark Croft – father of Heidi, 13, and Max, 12 – who she accused of supplying her with drugs, although he has always denied it. Then followed a difficult third marriage with George Kay, father of daughter Dylan-Jorge, six. George tragically died from an accidental drug overdose last year, aged 39, and Kerry admitted she went back on antidepressants to cope with the aftermath.
However, friends insist that while a lot of Kerry’s trauma has stemmed from issues with the men in her life, Ryan is different and has been helping to build her back up and will get her “back to her full, happy mental state.”
He has been credited with helping her turn her life around. Since meeting him, she has quit alcohol and now focuses on her health and exercise, with the pair even building a new gym at their home.
She recently told Closer, “It’s the most normal relationship I’ve ever had. It’s taken me a long time to get to where I am, emotionally. But I’m in a really good place right now.”
The source adds, “Ryan hates seeing Kerry upset. This is supposed to be the best time in their lives, with lots of positive things going on – from planning their wedding to starting an online exercise business together. He’s helping her to get back to feeling her best.
“He’s been working out with her every morning, which helps boost her mentally and, most importantly, just being there to listen when she needs it.”
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And while she started up her OnlyFans account – a subscription website for X-rated snaps – to keep her occupied and bring in the money she was missing out on with lost work opportunities during lockdown, Kerry is said to have been feeling self-conscious and a little insecure after her weight gain, even though she looks great.
But the source adds, “Ryan dotes on Kerry. He takes the snaps of her for her OnlyFans page because he knows it makes her feel confident. He’s been reassuring her that she’s looking amazing and that he fancies her more than ever.
“She knows she can start to feel down with so much going on, but having Ryan and her children supporting her and showing her so much love means she feels she can stay on track.
“And if one good thing has come out of all this recent upset, it’s that it has underlined to Kerry how important Ryan is and that she can’t ever let him go – she feels he really is the guy she should be spending the rest of her life with.”
Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine each week.