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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Daniel Bird & Phoebe Jobling

Kerry Katona says daughter turned down Love Island twice as she slams ITV dating show

Kerry Katona says her daughter was asked to go on Love Island twice, but turned down the opportunity despite her encouragement. The former Atomic Kitten singer, 42, revealed that ITV dating show bosses headhunted her 20-year-old daughter Lilly-Sue McFadden, who she shares with Brian McFadden, but that the show just 'wasn't for her'.

The mum-of-five then went on to slam Love Island as she said she 'couldn't believe' it was still going, as she explained why her daughter wasn't interested in appearing on the programme despite its huge success.

Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Kerry said: "Love Island – Bore Island, it's wrong, I can't believe it's still going. Our Lilly got asked to do it twice.

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"I went 'Do it!', our Lilly is one of these girls, she doesn't shave her armpits, she's a stunning girl, she'll sit there with a rollie looking a mess, I went 'Just go on there and show kids our Heidi's age that it's OK to be normal'.

"Our Lilly said no because she's not one to stroll around in a bikini, it's just not her."

She went on to add: "It's all fake, I've not watched it, I can't believe it's still going – I think it's shocking.

"It's fake and foggy, it gives young kids the wrong impression and wrong idea – it's like these filters on Instagram, the ones that make you look drop-dead gorgeous, they should be banned.

"They should be taken off, that's affecting my kids, that's affecting so many teenagers."

The former singer went on to say: "I think it's all fake and false, our Heidi won't have a picture taken without hiding her face, I just think it's wrong.

"Keep the filters where you've got your ears and fire coming out of your mouth but that filter which makes you look completely different and drop-dead gorgeous is wrong.

"I don't use filters, I don't filters on OnlyFans, I never work up unless I've got to for work if I'm on telly or on a photo shoot."

This week, Kerry launches the paperback copy of her memoir, Whole Again: Love, Life And Me documenting her struggles as a young girl to her turbulent past and finding herself back on top of the showbiz circuit.

She said: "I've had so many DMs and emails since releasing the book and it's summer now, it's easier to take a softback cover.

"For me, it's re-enlightening the fact that the book is out there and it's a ridiculous response that I've actually had to the book that I know there's more people that can go and get it and it'll help.

"I've just been doing the audiobook as well, so that will be out soon. I'm probably the most straightforward and honest celebrity you'll ever meet, I'm an open book.

"There's things in there that I really struggled writing because it was so difficult to write."

Kerry Katona is launching her memoir Whole Again: Love, Life And Me (Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)

"People say to me, 'Kerry who helped you get through all of that?'", she said before adding: "There's nobody on my level of honesty when someone's going through, that they can look up to and get advice or inspiration.

"I like to think I'm that person, I've had to be my own hero, I've had to be my own inspiration because nobody helped me.

"Obviously I've had people around and stuff but it comes from you, that's the soul of this book – it's about learning about you as a person.

"I relied on so many people to make me happy, I relied on men to make me happy and it was like, they were so in control of my happiness, whereas now, I make me happy, Ryan enhances it."

Kerry Katona: Whole Again, published by Mirror Books RRP £9.99, is on sale in paperback from 6th July. You can pre-order from Amazon now.

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