Why can’t Jordan break her toyboy obsession?
As the ex-glamour model goes public with her new man, Closer’s psychological therapist Emma Kenny warns against repeating the same romance patterns
She hasn’t held back from parading her latest toyboy, Carl Woods, on Instagram – dubbing him her “perfect prince”, and even sparking engagement rumours by calling him “my everything” and “future hubby”, while imploring fans to be happy for them.
Former glamour model Jordan, 42, went official with her new boyfriend last week, sharing a sweet photo of the pair with her arms wrapped around her beau. The snap received more than 29,000 likes from followers, with many rallying around the star – real name Katie Price – to wish her well, with one writing,
“You deserve this Katie”, while another added, “Hope he looks after you”.
And while some urged her not to rush things in the wake of her split from fiancé Kris Boyson last December, with one concerned fan posting, “Honestly hope and wish you all the best... Take your time and enjoy this new guy in private until you believe he is the one,” some trolls took a swipe at the mum of five, with one sniping, “Until the next mug that comes along!”
POSITIVE
However, Jordan was quick to defend her blossoming romance with 31-year-old Carl – who recently signed to the same management company as her – saying, “To everyone sticking up for me and all the lovely comments you’re the important people to me and are being positive for me... So thank you.”
Meanwhile, the former Love Island hunk, who was dumped from the villa after failing to find love and previously worked as a car salesman, appears to have the seal of approval from Jordan’s family, as he was followed on Instagram by Katie’s step-dad Paul and her daughter Princess, 13.
Despite being reportedly advised by therapists to embrace being single, Jordan
– who’s been wed three times – has never strayed far from the attentions of younger men, forging friendships with reality stars Scotty T, 32, and Chris Hughes, 27, and DJ Tom Zanetti, 31, as well as briefly dating builder Charles Drury, 22, last year. She was previously engaged to Leandro Penna, 34, and had a fling with singer Gareth Gates, now 35 – famously taking his virginity when he was just 17.
PARANOID
Last September, ex Kris – who was 13 years her junior – revealed Jordan struggles with trust, saying, “She hasn’t got many real friends. Her social circle is so small, she can’t trust anyone. She is quite paranoid, and I don’t blame her. Everyone slates her.”
And following pleas from her mum Amy and her children to date someone older, Jordan recently laid out what she wants in a man saying, “The man I settle down with has to be someone who doesn’t want to be famous, has their own money and business, has kids like me, is possibly divorced and accepts and loves me and my brood just the way we are.”
She has only recently turned her life around after a downward spiral, which saw her self-medicating with drugs and entering rehab following the collapse of her third marriage to Kieran Hayler, 33, who cheated on her with her best friends and nanny. But
she’s failed to find her happily ever after, prompting concerns she’s moving at lightning speed with her latest beau.
Closer’s psychological therapist Emma Kenny, who has met the star many times, fears Jordan’s toyboy attraction is being driven by her obsession with turning back the clock.
She says, “Katie has such a low opinion of men that she just expects they’ll let her down, so perhaps feels she may as well just crack on with the younger, good-looking ones who make her feel amazing.
“Her whole career has been built on the way she looks, and clinging to her youth is probably as much a business decision as it is an emotional choice. Women are often attracted to toyboys as they like the vitality a younger man brings into their lives – it’s exciting. It’s also a way of overcoming her secret fear of getting older.”
It’s well documented that Jordan’s struggled to move on since her 2009 split with first husband Pete, who she famously fell in love with during their stint on I’m A Celeb! in 2004.
HAPPY
Emma says, “I think she was leading her happiest life with Pete. He clearly thought the world of her, letting her take centre-stage and making her feel valued. They got together in a really natural, organic way in the jungle – she was stripped back, didn’t have make-up on and was able to just be herself. That’s what he fell in love with. It’s such a shame that it ended. They were great together.”
After breaking up with Pete, Jordan went on to marry second husband Alex Reid in 2010 after seven months of dating. A brief engagement with Leandro followed and two months after that relationship ended in
2012, Jordan met Kieran, tying the knot a month later.
Emma adds, “Katie looks happy and Carl appears to be a man of means so he’s not after her money. He’s aware of all her havoc and is obviously willing to accept that – hopefully she’ll surprise us all.
“But Katie really needs to keep her private life private and she should have given her relationship time to thrive before going public. Ideally, she can have ongoing therapy for her mental health, so she’s got somewhere to go with her feelings. I’d love for her to break her cycle of dating disasters, as she’s a warm, intelligent woman who deserves nothing more than to be happy.”
❛ HE’S AWARE OF ALL HER HAVOC AND IS OBVIOUSLY WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT ❜