In her exclusive weekly column, Kerry Katona has cleared up reports that she dubbed her marriage to Brian McFadden 'fake', sharing that it was, in fact, completely genuine.
The mother-of-five also opens up a difficult decision, the reason her children lean on stepdad Ryan Mahoney and why, in the wake of Amy Nuttall's reconciliation with husband Andrew Buchan, second chances can be worth it. She also details why this week has been more of an emotional rollercoaster as she battles mental and physical challenges.
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Kerry hit headlines last week with reports that she called her marriage to Westlife's Brian McFadden 'fake'. The former couple met in 1999 and tied the knot three years later, welcoming daughters Molly, now 21, and Lilly-Sue, now 20, during the relationship.
While it may have seemed a pop match made in heaven, the duo went on to split in 2006 – something which Brian described as 'mutual' at the time. Despite things not working out, our columnist is keen to set the record straight as she insists that the relationship was never fake, describing the Irish singer as her 'first love'.
"It was reported last week that I called my marriage to Brian McFadden “fake”. I want to clear up that this isn’t what I said. He was my first love and it was genuine in my eyes. It was very difficult as we were so young," explains Kerry.
Adding of her fiancé Ryan: "I’m lucky to have Ryan now, and he’s a good father figure to my girls. Molly and Lilly still have a good relationship with Brian and he’s always their dad, but Ryan is a constant in their lives. "
While the relationship wasn't false, it wasn't easy either, with Brian cheating on Kerry just before their wedding day. The former Atomic Kitten star forgave him and went on to give him a second chance – something she doesn't regret.
As she compares her own experiences with that of Downton Abbey actress Amy Nuttal's, who is said to have taken husband Andrew Buchan back last week after he reportedly cheated on her with a co-star.
"I’ve been reading a lot about Amy Nuttall reconciling with her husband, Andrew Buchan, last week. I hope it works for them and he’s learnt his lesson, I really do.
"For me, when I’ve been cheated on in the past, I’ve struggled to make it work because I knew I wouldn’t be able to fully trust them again. Saying that, I think people do make mistakes in relationships, and it’s possible to come back from it. As long as he knows he’s done wrong and tries to fix things, they should give couples therapy a go, too.
"I gave my first husband, Brian, another chance when he cheated, and even though it didn’t work out, I would have regretted it if I hadn’t. Plus, I got my girl Lilly out of it, so it was worth it."
It's been an emotional week for Kerry with highs and lows, as the paperback version of her book, Whole Again, hit shelves on Thursday. While it's a time to celebrate the book, it's also a triggering time for our columnist as it brings back the traumatic experiences detailed in the memoir.
Kerry opens up about her abusive relationship with late ex-husband George Kay in the book, and the paperback release fell on the anniversary of his death.
Baring her emotions, the TV personality admits: "It was the anniversary of his [George Kay's] death at the same time as my paperback book coming out and, to be honest, reliving it all made me a bit emotional. Talking about it has really brought everything back for me. I get upset talking about it because of the trauma, and I have a lot of anger that is still attached to me and to my kids, so it’s been tough. I was feeling a bit triggered last week so I’m just taking time to recover mentally. "
Despite it being a difficult ride, this hasn't put Kerry off any books in the future – just not on the same topic. Looking to lighter endeavours, she says, "It hasn’t put me off releasing another book, but if I was to do it again, I’d like to do a children’s book with my daughter DJ, which we could write together.
As emotions ran high, physical pain is still getting Kerry down too, after her recent diagnosis with Scoliosis. With the pain reaching a breaking point recently, rest is the way forward for the star as she is deciding to prioritise her health.
With that, comes the difficult decision to postpone her tour, No Regrets.
Kerry was planning on heading to Manchester on Friday for a night of stories, insights, entertainment, and everything in between.
"I had to make the decision to postpone my tour last week, which was so difficult. I hate saying no to work and letting people down. I was really battling with myself and getting emotional about it, because I was so excited to see you all there," reveals the star.
She continues: "But ultimately, the doctor told me I needed complete rest and I had to put my health first. I need to make sure my body is back to its best so I’m in top form, physically and mentally, when I do go on stage. As hard as the decision was, it was also a weight lifted off of my shoulders, knowing I can rest and get better. But don’t worry, I would never fully cancel the show, and I’ll see you all when the time is right!"
Working on ways to reduce the pain, Kerry has been testing out different methods to help. "You were all asking me so many questions when I shared my session in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber on Instagram last week.
"I did it with specialist Dr Andre, and it was quite cosy actually – I felt like I was being reborn! It’s supposed to relieve pressure and help with my scoliosis, but it takes quite a few sessions to work so I haven’t seen any improvement yet. I’m really struggling with my back at the moment, so I’m going to a chiropractor, but he can only help in small sections at a time. I’m going to keep going with it though, in the hope that I get results soon."
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