Kerry Katona addressed how her past issues are treated compared to Ant McPartlin’s (Picture: REX)
Kerry Katona has had her say on how women in the media are treated after claiming her past issues are always brought up while men’s past issues are ‘forgotten about’.
The former Atomic Kitten star, 42, opened up about her thoughts on Ant McPartlin’s 2018 drink-drive crash being left in the past while her being accused of being drunk during an interview on This Morning in 2008 gets brought up more often.
Speaking to Jackie Brambles on her Greatest Hits Radio show, Kerry revealed: ‘It annoys me how we’re put into a box – because I’m from a council estate, had a certain kind of upbringing, the fact that I’m a woman and a mother you are judged massively differently.
‘For instance, I applaud Ant McPartlin’s recovery. I think he’s doing amazing and I love Ant & Dec, I think they’re great. But Ant had his own issues, when he crashed his car it was a big, big story yet eight months later he’s winning awards and it’s all forgotten about.
‘How many years later [from the This Morning interview] and we’re still talking about it with me. Because I’m a woman, and because I’m a mother, and because I didn’t go to Sylvia Young theatre school you are put in a box – that’s how it is unfortunately.
‘I feel like I’ve been a beacon, got the beating for a lot of people but that is how women in this industry get treated – look at Caroline Flack.’
Ant was arrested for drink-driving in 2018 (Picture: S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Ant had been arrested in 2018 after crashing his car while more than twice the legal limit in London, and had been handed a 20 month driving ban, along with an £86,000 fine.
The ban was later reduced to 15 months after Ant completed a drink-driving referral course and he returned to presenting after some time out of the limelight.
Kerry had appeared on the show from Turkey, where she is currently on holiday with her family as she discussed her new memoir Whole Again – Love, Life and Me: My Story.
In the book, she opens up about her turbulent marriage to third husband George Kay, who died in 2019.
Kerry’s 2008 This Morning interview still gets brought up (Picture: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Revealing why she wanted to speak out, she explained: ‘It’s for domestic awareness abuse. I was in a really violent relationship with my third husband George, who sadly passed away three years ago, and it’s just a tale of strength, resilience and hope.
‘It was the most difficult book I’ve had to write and I was quite traumatised by it, I’ve had to get therapy which I’m still in at the moment. I thought it would be therapeutic, but it hasn’t been – halfway through I thought “I can’t do this anymore, I’m done.”
‘I felt I can’t put it out there because there’s such a sense of shame and guilt with abuse but in the end I thought if it helps just one person then it’s been worth doing.’
Listen to Kerry Katona speak to Jackie Brambles on the Greatest Hits Radio app and website. Head to greatesthitsradio.co.uk for more.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Kerry Katona starts embryo freezing as she shares snaps of process: ‘Lots of eggs in my basket’
She addressed the double standards.
