Kerry turns to Ryan as she hits a new low
As she breaks down in an emotional video and lashes out online, friends fear for Kerry Katona’s wellbeing – but insist fiancé Ryan Mahoney will see her through her latest difficulties
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.”
DEVASTATED
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.
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.
PAST TRAUMA
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.”
INSECURE
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 selfconscious 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.”
By Daisy McLure
HE HATES SEEING HER UPSET… HE’S HELPING HER GET BACK
TO FEELING HER BEST