{"id":38346,"date":"2025-09-02T10:02:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T10:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/38346\/"},"modified":"2025-09-02T10:02:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T10:02:13","slug":"kerry-katona-admits-she-kept-getting-married-because-she-was-desperate-to-have-a-father-figure-as-she-details-traumatic-upbringing-that-saw-her-go-into-hiding-to-avoid-her-mums-abusive-boyfriend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/38346\/","title":{"rendered":"Kerry Katona admits she kept getting married because she was ‘desperate to have a father figure’ as she details traumatic upbringing that saw her go into hiding to avoid her mum’s abusive boyfriend"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thrice married\u00a0Kerry Katona<\/a> has candidly detailed her traumatic upbringing in a brutally honest interview, as she reflected on how her marriages have stemmed from her long-standing desperation to have a father figure.<\/p>\n

Opening up to Paul C. Brunson on his podcast, We Need To Talk<\/a>, the Atomic Kitten star recalled how she was raised not knowing who her real father was, only discovering her biological dad after his death.<\/p>\n

She revealed how her mother had a number of short-lived relationships with men she was led to believe were her dad, with one being physically abusive and forcing her and her mum to go into witness protection.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kerry admitted being put in ‘unspeakable situations’ as a child, that ‘no child should ever be in, ever’ as she described going through four sets of foster parents and living in a shelter, while her mum battled mental health issues and drug addiction.<\/p>\n

She explained:\u00a0‘But that was my normal, Paul. I did not know any different. Do you see what I mean? It took me a long time to realise that’s why that happened, that’s why I went for these men, that’s why I wanted a father figure.<\/p>\n

‘I kept getting married because\u00a0I was desperate to have a dad. It took me so long to realise I’m more than enough.’<\/p>\n

\"Thrice-married <\/p>\n

Thrice-married Kerry Katona has candidly detailed her traumatic upbringing in a brutally honest interview with\u00a0Paul C. Brunson on his podcast, We Need To Talk<\/p>\n

\"Kerry <\/p>\n

Kerry admitted being put in ‘unspeakable situations’ as a child, that ‘no child should ever be in, ever’ as she described going through four sets of foster parents (Kerry pictured age eight)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kerry is currently dating\u00a0personal trainer Paolo Magaglione, 33, and has reportedly moved him into her home\u00a0just two months after they met on Celebs Go Dating.<\/p>\n

Prior to this she was in a six and a half year relationship with fianc\u00e9 Ryan Mahoney before they split at the end of last year.<\/p>\n

She was reportedly planning to have a child with Ryan before they split.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kerry has daughters Molly, 22 and Lilly, 20 with her ex husband Brian McFadden who she was married to from 2002\u20132006.<\/p>\n

She is also mum to Heidi, 17, and Max, 15, with ex husband Mark Croft and eight-year-old DJ from her relationship with the late George Kay.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in the chat, Kerry detailed her traumatic upbringing, revealing her mother was in and out of turbulent relationships.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘There were always fights,’ she explained. ‘I mean, the things I saw my mum do I can’t even repeat because it’s so cruel. So cruel, some of the things I witnessed as a kid.’<\/p>\n

She recalled one ex of her mother’s who she instantly felt uneasy around.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"In <\/p>\n

In the chat, she\u00a0reflected on how her multiple marriages have stemmed from her long-standing desperation to have a dad (pictured with current partner,\u00a0Paolo Magaglione)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Prior <\/p>\n

Prior to this she was in a six and a half year relationship with fianc\u00e9 Ryan Mahoney before they split at the end of last year<\/p>\n

\"Kerry <\/p>\n

Kerry has daughters Molly, 22 and Lilly, 20 with her ex husband Brian McFadden who she was married to from 2002\u20132006 (pictured in 2001)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"She <\/p>\n

She is also mum to Heidi, 17, and Max, 15, with ex husband Mark Croft\u00a0 (pictured in 2008)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"She <\/p>\n

She shares eight-year-old DJ from her marriage to the late George Kay (pictured in 2013)<\/p>\n

Kerry explained: ‘I had to pretend, had to call him dad. And I just had this instant fear of Dave, instant fear of him, like terrified of him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘And I remember him walking in\u00a0my bedroom – and the first time I met him, he just fell flat on his face, drunk. I knew I had to pretend and laugh, because I knew his aura. I could tell the kind of man he was going to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘This one time, I\u2019d be seven or eight, maybe eight – babysitting on\u00a0stale ketchup butties, because my mum was going on the p**s for three days. And I used to go do shopping by myself\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘But this one time I remember I was in bed, my mum had been out, and she came in and she sat next to me and said, “Dave asked me to marry him.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘I went, “Don’t do it, mum\u2026 He’s going to beat you. He’s really\u00a0going to beat you up.” She went, “Kerry, 16 years, he’s never laid a finger on me.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘The next night, she came home, black and blue, and she had the side of a shotgun to her head.’<\/p>\n

Kerry ended up going into witness protection with her mother as they attempted to flee the abuse.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘We had to go into hiding,’ she explained. ‘And that’s when we got put\u2026 and I remember,\u00a0because of who Dave was, and I remember the social services, or whoever it was who came to get us, like witness protection.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘We had to go into hiding, and me mum had to dye her hair\u2026 and we ended up in Manchester in a refuge.<\/p>\n

‘At one point, I couldn’t go to school in case Dave kidnapped me, so I had to get home schooled.’<\/p>\n

\"Elsewhere <\/p>\n

Elsewhere in the chat, Kerry detailed her traumatic upbringing, revealing her mother was in and out of turbulent relationships<\/p>\n

It was later in life that she was told by a foster parent that Dave was in fact her biological father.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Reflecting on her childhood, she concluded:\u00a0‘the situations I\u2019ve been put in as a child are, some of them are unspeakable. Some of them are so unspeakable that no child should ever be in, ever.’<\/p>\n

Part one of Kerry Katona on We Need To Talk is out now. Part two will be released on September 9.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you have been affected by this article, contact Samaritans on 116 123\u00a0<\/p>\n

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