‘I’ll have Katie at mine for Christmas’
Mum of five Kerry Katona tells Closer she can’t wait for the big day with boyfriend Ryan Mahoney and her kids – and explains why she’ll always have her troubled pal Jordan’s back
She’s endured a traumatic year with the shock death of her ex-husband George Kay over the summer, followed by a stint in hospital for a mystery illness.
But Kerry Katona tells Closer that, as she prepares for the holiday season with her family in Cheshire, everything in her life is calm and drama-free.
Kerry, 39 – who is feeling fabulous after having her third boob job, an uplift, and using SkinnyJabs weight loss injections, plus a ‘fat dissolving’ treatment – says, “I’m feeling very content at the moment. Christmas is always my favourite time of year, I just love it. The decorations, the cold and dark evenings, and cosying up on the sofa with the family. It’s just a magical time of year.
“I’m happy – not just because it’s Christmas, but within my life. It’s taken me a long time to get where I am, emotionally. But I’m in a really good place right now. It makes a change from all the drama that usually follows me!”
FEELING LUCKY
Kerry – who lives with personal trainer boyfriend Ryan Mahoney – will have a busy household this Christmas.
She and Ryan will have all five of her kids – Molly, 18, and Lilly-Sue, 16, whose dad is Brian McFadden; Heidi, 12, and Max 11, from her marriage to Mark Croft; and Dylan-Jorge, five, whose father is George – as well as Kerry’s mum, Sue, over for the big day.
Kerry says, “We’ll get up in the morning and head downstairs to see the piles of presents under the tree. They’ll open them all, with me or Ryan nearby with a bin bag collecting the rubbish. Ryan’s really hands-on with the kids, with organising, with everything. I feel so lucky to have him.
“Then my mum will come over and we’ll pop open some champagne before Mum and I get on with the cooking.
We’ll sit down for Christmas dinner at around 4pm. Then the day ends with a Christmas film followed by some karaoke and a sing-song.”
DIFFICULT TIME
While Kerry is excited about the big day, her close pal Jordan – real name Katie Price – may be homeless for Christmas, after she was declared bankrupt and risks losing her £2m mansion.
And Kerry says that she’ll always leave her door open for her pal to spend Christmas with her if she wants to – especially after Jordan, 41, has helped her out in the past.
“It’s hard to tie her down – you can send her a million texts and she never replies until she wants something,”
laughs Kerry. “That’s how she is. But Kate is my friend, and although we haven’t seen each other in a while, we’ll always be there for each other. I’d never want to see her out on her a**e. I know I can call her up tomorrow and say,
‘Kate, I need somewhere to stay.’
“When I was going through a difficult time with George one night, I rang Kate. She said, ‘Get in the car and come and stay here right now.’ So if she needed somewhere to stay, of course she could stay with me for Christmas – I’ll take her in and all the kids.”
And Kerry – who herself went bankrupt in 2008 and 2013 – says that, while it’s a difficult time, she believes her “strong” friend will make it through.
REAL FRIENDS
She says, “A lot of people can feel embarrassed, ashamed, mortified, guilty, even suicidal – especially when you have little kids depending on you. You do feel like you have to put on a show, like, ‘I’m fine.’ I know Katie – and I think she puts on a really hard front.
“But she’s strong – she’ll get through this. Maybe she’ll realise who her real friends are now the money has gone – that happened to me, and it was a blessing in disguise. It’s only money at the end of the day. She’s got her health and five beautiful children – it’s not the end of the world.”
As Kerry looks to 2020 – when she’ll be turning 40
– she’s excited for what’s to come. But she says she won’t be celebrating on New Year’s Eve.
She admits, “I don’t really like it. I think the last time I went out on New Year’s Eve was in 2000, in Ireland, when I was with Brian. It just doesn’t appeal to me – too overcrowded, too busy – I’m 40 next year, remember!
“I’ll be staying in, watching a bit of Jools Holland and having a drink at home, seeing in the New Year with Ryan. I’m on a good path, and happy, so hopefully it’ll be a great year.”
I’M HAPPY AND IN A GOOD PLACE – IT MAKES A CHANGE FROM THE USUAL DRAMA!