Kerry Katona

Kerry Katona (born 6.9.1980)

Kerry Katona is an English celebrity. She rose to fame as a member of the girl group Atomic Kitten. However, since leaving the band, her career has hit something of a downward spiral and she is better known for her tabloid presence, with most stories focusing on various scandals in her life.

Kerry Katona: Childhood

Kerry Katona was raised primarily by her mother, Sue, though her stepfather and foster grandmother also helped to raise her. Kerry's mother committed suicide whilst Kerry was young and she was given to four different sets of foster parents.

Her childhood was rarely settled and she attended eight different schools. As a result, she left school without any exam qualifications and, at the age of 16, became a lap dancer, before joining a dance troupe and toured around Europe with them.

Kerry Katona: Life in the Public Eye

Kerry Katona, Liz McClarnon and Natasha Hamilton formed Atomic Kitten in 1999. They reached number one with their biggest hit, the single 'Whole Again'. Kerry Katona was originally featured on the recording and in the video for the song. However, as she was pregnant with her first child by Brian McFadden of Westlife, she left the group. Atomic Kitten's success grew considerably after Katona had left the group. Since her departure, rumours have abounded that she never sang on their records, but only ever provided spoken word parts.

Kerry Katona married Brian McFadden in 2002 and the couple honeymooned in Mauritius. Following their marriage, Kerry began to work as a TV presenter, appearing on shows such as Loose Women and Eliminate. She also appeared on the reality TV series I'm A Celebrity.Get Me Out Of Here! She won the series, which also starred Peter Andre, Katie Price (Jordan) and Jenny Bond. She also starred in an Irish drama called Showbands.

In 2005, Kerry Katona starred in My Fair Kerry, a reality TV show that aimed to transform Katona from a ladette into a lady. She has also starred in two fly-on-the-wall documentaries on MTV, Kerry Katona: Crazy in Love and Kerry Katona: What's the Problem?

In 2008, Kerry Katona was fired from her position as a columnist in OK! Magazine. She was the face of the advertising campaign for the Iceland supermarket chain but was also axed from this job in 2009, following allegations of her possessing cocaine.

Kerry Katona was previously represented by the PR guru Max Clifford but following a controversial appearance on This Morning, the pair parted ways. Katona was interviewed by Fern Britton and Philip Schofield on the show but appeared to be under the influence of drugs. She denied the claims and blamed the medication that she was forced to take for her bi-polar disorder.

Katona is a patron of The Shannon Bradshaw Trust. The charity is based in Warrington and aids children with life-threatening illnesses.

Kerry Katona: Personal Life

Katona has two children from her former marriage to Brian McFadden. Molly Marie McFadden was born in August 2001 and Lilly-Sue McFadden was born in February 2003.

When McFadden and Katona separated in 2004, Kerry reverted to her maiden name, having used McFadden during their married life. When Brian McFadden released his solo album, Irish Son, the song 'Be True To Your Woman' was reportedly about their relationship.

For seven months in 2005, Kerry's former lover, Dave Cunningham moved in with her.

Kerry Katona married Mark Croft, a taxi driver, in 2007. They married in Gretna Green. The have a daughter together, Heidi Elizabeth Croft, born in 2007. Kerry also gave birth to their son, Maxwell, in October 2008

In July 2007, Croft and Katona were held hostage in their home in Wilmslow. The intruders made off with valuables worth a reported £100,000. They now have an Alsatian to guard the house.

In 2008, Kerry Katona starred in another reality TV show. Entitled Whole Again, the show followed her cosmetic surgery procedures.

In 2005, Emily Herbert's biography about Katona, Kerry: Story of a Survivor was published. Katona's own autobiography was published in 2006. It was ghost-written by Fanny Blake and was entitled Too Much Too Young.