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Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zara Woodcock

Kerry Katona 'felt unloved' as a child as she reveals difficult years in foster care

Kerry Katona has opened up about her teenage years in foster care and how her foster dad Fred impacted her life.

The former Atomic Kitten star was put into foster care at 13 years old and revealed how 'unloved' she felt.

In an emotional film for Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4, the 41-year-old recalled moving around a lot in her teenage years.

"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, Mag and Fred," she explained.

Kerry Katona 'felt unloved' as she reflects on teenage years in foster care (Channel 4/Steph's Packed Lunch)

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

In the clip, Kerry visits her former foster dad and reminisces about her first time stepping foot into their home.

"The first I came in here, I came in the kitchen and Mags said that I opened all the cupboards and I was like, ‘Oh my god you’ve got food in your cupboards.’ I was like, ‘Look at all the food in there!’" she added.

Kerry opened up about her time in foster care (mirror.co.uk)

She was so close to Fred that she wanted him to walk her down the aisle when she married her first husband Brian McFadden.

The star went on to say that she believes that she would have been a completely different person if it wasn't for Mag and Fred.

"It could have been so much worse if it wasn’t for my foster parents," Kerry revealed.

"Just appreciating those small things of complete strangers taking in a child who’s unloved, that’s how you feel, you feel unloved. I think about all those kids that are out there and it’s not their fault and all they need is a little bit of love…."

Because of her manic depressive mum Sue’s mental illness, she went to eight schools, stayed with four different foster families and lived in three refuges.

When she was 14, Sue - who has since turned her life around - gave her Speed to try after telling it was ‘sherbet’.

Her mum has since turned her life around (Channel 4/Steph's Packed Lunch)

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Kerry previously opened up about her experiences at home with mum Sue.

There were many moments where Kerry would live without food.

Kerry said: “I one hundred per cent remember a time when there was not enough food in the house, when there just wasn’t enough money.

“I must have been about nine-years-old and used to look in the cupboards and think ‘What could I make for tea’?

“When I was living with my mum, she would go out on benders for three days and there would be no food. I was only about nine.

“I would live on tomato ketchup butties. There might be some stale bread in the cupboard and ketchup in a bottle and that is what I would live on until my mum would come home.”

Steph’s Packed Lunch airs weekdays at 12.30pm on Channel 4 and All 4*

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