KERRY KATONA - SCHOFIELD DENIES KATONA 'AMBUSH' AFTER CHAOTIC INTERVIEW

SCHOFIELD DENIES KATONA 'AMBUSH' AFTER CHAOTIC INTERVIEW

Philip Schofield has hit back at claims that Kerry Katona was "ambushed" during an erratic appearance on ITV1's This Morning.

Viewers called the daytime show expressing concern for the former Atomic Kitten star after she slurred throughout an interview with Schofield and co-host Fern Britton.

The 28-year-old claimed her slurred speech was due to having taken prescription drugs to help her sleep but Schofield criticised the 'irresponsibility' of allowing the reality TV star to go through with the interview.

"She arrived very late [and] didn't give anyone any time to sit down and talk to her," he told BBC Radio 1.

"She came through to the studio, we kissed her on the cheek and the programme went on air, so at no point had we any idea what condition she might be in."

The presenter explained there was "no way that our producer would have allowed that interview to go ahead, had we known the situation she'd found herself in that morning".

Katona's husband Mark Croft posted a statement online saying his wife's slurring had been "particularly bad" because she had taken her prescription drugs four hours late the night before the interview.

"Kerry would like to categorically state for the record that that the only thing she drank before the show was cups of tea," he wrote.

"Having answered the questions to the best of her ability, Kerry was upset at the insinuation that she was on anything other than the prescription drugs, which she has always been honest about taking."

Schofield admitted that after the interview, Katona "was obviously very, very angry with us and she got up and walked out of the studio with her husband".

"We didn't attempt to stop her because we knew that she was a very angry girl, and the last thing you want to do is to make that any worse on the studio floor - and we had other guests there, so you don't want a scene," he told breakfast show host Chris Moyles.

"As a production team, we're a bit sad this morning," Schofield continued,

"I know that she walked down the corridor and said that we'd ambushed her in the interview.

"At no time were alcohol or drug issues going to be mentioned, because we've done that in the past. She ambushed herself by slurring her words.

"It's a shame that she feels that way because unfortunately she set herself up, or she was set up by the person who brought her in."