Kerry Katona felt "unloved" as a child.

The former Atomic Kitten singer - who entered the care system when she was 13 years old - was convinced it was her "fault" she ended up being looked after by foster parents and claimed staff at her school "looked down on her" and made her feel "naughty" because of her troubled home life.

She wrote in her column for new! magazine: "Christmas can be a lonely time for children in foster care. You feel unloved and think, 'Is it my fault? Have I done something wrong?' And that stigma stays with you even during school.

"A lot of the teachers looked down on me as if it was my fault and I was some naughty child.

"I wasn’t in a foster home because I was a naughty child, I was in a foster home because my mum picked her abusive fella over me. That wasn’t my fault."

The 42-year-old star - who has Molly, 21, Lilly, 19, Heidi, 15, Max, 14, and eight-year-old DJ from previous relationships - admitted she is "overly friendly and welcoming" towards visitors because she'll always remember how uncomfortable she felt growing up in someone else's house.

She continued: "Even going to the toilet in someone else’s house was daunting. I think that’s why, whenever anyone comes to my house, I’m overly friendly and welcoming. I’ll go, 'Take your shoes off, chill out, get into your pyjamas.'

"I want them to feel really welcome because I know what it’s like.

"I had four sets of foster parents growing up. I know more than anyone how it feels when you have to live with people you don’t know."

Earlier this year, Kerry cried when she reunited with her foster father Fred during an episode of Channel 4 TV show 'Steph's Packed Lunch'.

She said: "As a child, I moved round a lot. At the age of 13, I was put into foster care.

"I stayed in several foster homes and refuges but eventually I was taken in by an amazing couple, Mags and Fred.

"Mags sadly passed away six years ago, but I still remain really close to Fred."