What’s really behind Jordan’s amazing transformation
● Fans praise the former glamour model as she unveils her new look ● Her image overhaul comes as she recovers from drug and alcohol abuse ● Psychological therapist Emma Kenny says she still has demons to face
She was almost unrecognisable last week after ditching her long blonde hair extensions in favour of a brunette bob, revealing she was now going for a “more sophisticated look” while promoting her touching BBC documentary about her disabled son Harvey.
And fans were quick to compliment Jordan – real name Katie Price – on her striking transformation, with one commenting on how “well” she looked. One Twitter user wrote, “I think @KatiePrice looks better with her natural hair”, while another said the star “looks so well and pretty”.
Now, sources tell Closer it’s all part of Jordan’s transformation after a tough few years during which she ended up in The
Priory twice. In 2018, she hit rock bottom, turning to drugs and alcohol as she battled bankruptcy, a divorce, a broken engagement and suicidal thoughts. And in January 2020, Jordan checked into the facility again saying she’d been “slowly going off the rails for 10 years”.
Proving she’s determined to turn her back on her past, Jordan, 42, has since written a goodbye letter to cocaine – three years after she was filmed rapping about “loving coke” and pictured slumped on the floor.
An insider reveals, “Katie wanted a make-under, she sees that as the final stage of her transformation. She wants to be sophisticated and is determined to be taken more seriously. Katie’s been through a lot and wants her image to reflect the strong woman she is again now. The situation with Harvey is serious for her, as is the TV shows she does about him, so she wants to reflect that.”
The mum-of-five’s makeover comes after boyfriend Carl Woods, 31, admitted he couldn’t stand “the ‘Jordan’ thing” in a recent interview with Closer.
MOTIVATION
The Essex car dealer – who met the star in July last year – revealed, “In truth, if I’d met Katie a few years ago when she was going through that stage, we wouldn’t have worked out.
“If she was still her ‘Jordan’ alter ego we would have clashed, because I hate partying. I can’t stand the ‘Jordan’ thing.”
And sources say part of Jordan’s motivation is to ensure the romance goes the distance.
The source says, “Carl likes the natural Katie more – he’s into Katie and not Jordan, so he’s happier when she’s less made up and just her true self.”
Finding love again hasn’t been easy for Jordan, who faced a string of failed relationships after ending her third marriage to Kieran Hayler in 2018.
The star – who in the past has claimed being single “doesn’t suit” her because she ends up “getting drunk” – went on to date footballer Shane Duffy, builder Charles Drury and reality star Kris Boyson, to whom she was engaged. But now she’s happier than ever with former Love Islander Carl.
And he proved he’s here to stay after taking on the role of carer when Jordan broke both her feet back in July. Praising her boyfriend online, Jordan wrote, “There isn’t many guys that would be able to handle the life-changing injuries I have.”
Yet Closer’s therapist Emma Kenny warns that Jordan’s new look could spark danger.
DISTORTED
Emma says, “What we’ve seen with Katie before is that she tends to mirror people that she’s with, but it can be dangerous to change yourself for a man. You can end up falling into controlling behaviours and your self-esteem becomes linked to that person. If they leave, you’re left with a distorted relationship with yourself.”
This isn’t the first time Jordan has tried to kill off her alter ego. In 2012, the star looked a far cry away from her old self as she posed for a magazine shoot with a sleek updo. And in 2015, she revealed the results of her breast reduction in a demure dress. But by 2016, her new image was long forgotten thanks to a string of boozy nightclub appearances. She later said she that she was going through “the blackest mood” of her life.
And Emma thinks she may need help to put the past behind her. She adds, “I think Katie probably wants this to be seen as a reinvention of herself. But she has to be willing to go on a journey to change, otherwise she’ll keep making the same mistakes. Carl also needs to be careful of putting ‘Katie’ and ‘Jordan’ into a box. She’s never been natural and that’s what makes her the person she is. That said, there’s potential for growth as she may realise somebody can love her in spite of not being this sexy character – as long as she’s doing it for herself.”