Kerry Katona says Ant McPartlin's past issues have been 'forgotten about' as she addressed what she described as a 'double standard' in the entertainment industry. The former Atomic Kitten star claimed in an interview she'd been treated differently to celebrities like Geordie Ant, who was found guilty of drink driving a few years ago.
Kerry, who is 42, said she'd been 'judged massively differently' when talking about how her mental health struggles are portrayed, namely because she's a woman and because of her upbringing, reports the MirrorOnline.
She was sharing her thoughts during a recent interview to promote her new memoir Whole Again - Love, Life and Me: My Story, which was released last month. She suggested there's a 'double standard' in the industry, making a comparison between the way that she's been portrayed, to the way presenter Ant, 46, has been treated.
Kerry - who has been open about battling drug addiction in the past - told Greatest Hits Radio host Jackie Brambles, 55, that she "applauds" Ant's recovery from addiction, saying the TV presenter is "doing amazing".
She added: "Ant had his own issues, when he crashed his car [in 2018] it was a big, big story yet eight months later he's winning awards and it's all forgotten about." The mother-of-five suggested that she hasn't necessarily been able to get rid of her association with substance abuse, though, saying one incident is still talked about to this day.
She said on the radio show: "How many years later (from my This Morning interview where I was accused of being drunk on air) and we're still talking about it with me." Kerry said she's "put in a box" because she's a woman, a mother and didn't go to Sylvia Young Theatre School.
She also said growing up on a council estate has affected her portrayal. She added: "I feel like I've been a beacon, got the beating for a lot of people but that is how women in this industry get treated."
Kerry has spoken in the past about being 'ridiculed' over her This Morning interview from 2008. She was accused of being drunk or on drugs as her speech was "slurred".
She has however continually said it was due to her medication. She reiterated on GB News earlier this year: "My speech was really slurred due to my bipolar medication."
"I'll admit I've done drugs, I'll admit I've drank. I've done all that. I've been clean 13 years. I have no reason to lie," she added further during the interview with the broadcaster.
Ant has experienced substance abuse in the past, including problems with prescription medication and alcohol. He pleaded guilty to drink driving following a car crash in March 2018.
The incident, which had happened in London, led to a four-year-old child being hospitalised. It emerged that he had been twice the legal limit when he crashed his vehicle.
He was fined £86,000 and banned from driving for 20 months. He apologised for his behaviour in a statement at the time, saying he was "ashamed and mortified". Ant said he had "problems with alcohol and emotional issues".
His defence barrister Liam Walker said Ant had suffered a "brief relapse" at the time of the incident. He added his client had struggled to come to terms with the break up of his marriage to his now ex-wife Lisa Armstrong, 46.
Ant checked into a rehab facility shortly after the incident, with a spokesperson saying at the time that he would "step down" from work commitments to seek treatment. Amid his recovery, he was absent from TV projects for the rest of the year. This included being replaced on I'm a Celebrity by Holly Willoughby, 41, and a series of Saturday Night Takeaway being scrapped for 2019. Ant, however, returned to work alongside his presenting partner Declan Donnelly, 47, on Britain's Got Talent in 2019.
Listen to Kerry Katona speak to Jackie Brambles on the Greatest Hits Radio app and website. Head to greatesthitsradio.co.uk for more.
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