Source: OK! Magazine; ITV; Atomic Kitten official history)

In her exclusive weekly column, Kerry Katona has opened up about the difficult emotional spiral she faces every year in the run-up to her birthday. The former Atomic Kitten star—who turned 44 this week—revealed that the days surrounding her birthday often resurface painful memories of entering foster care as a young teenager. Kerry shared that despite trying to remain positive, this time of year still “triggers” deep feelings connected to her turbulent childhood (Source: OK! Magazine).

Kerry explained that her birthday has never been an occasion she looks forward to, largely because of the trauma tied to her early life. She recalled that only two days after her 13th birthday, she was placed into foster care. One of her clearest memories from that period was receiving around £35 as birthday money, only to hand it straight to a taxi driver to help her mother, who had been struggling financially at the time. She said moments like that still echo painfully decades later, particularly when birthdays come around.

Despite her fame and success—from chart-topping hits with Atomic Kitten to her long TV career—Kerry admitted that this emotional wound has never fully healed. She shared: “I get quite depressed around my birthday, so I don’t want to do much for it… especially this year as I’m ill.” For this reason, she says she prefers to celebrate Mother’s Day, which feels like a more meaningful and uplifting occasion for her personally (Source: OK! Magazine).

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A Tough Week: Sickness, Sadness, and Post-Holiday Blues

On top of her emotional struggles around her birthday, Kerry detailed that she has been extremely unwell this week, fighting off a painful strep throat that began during her recent holiday in Marbella. She admitted that she initially ignored the symptoms, hoping they would disappear, but became significantly worse once she returned home to the UK.

Kerry wrote that she is now on antibiotics after visiting the doctor, though even talking has been uncomfortable: “It even hurts to speak at the moment.” She added that she’s feeling low about being back in the UK after time abroad, noting again her long-held dream of eventually relocating overseas for a better quality of life (Source: OK! Magazine).

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‘A Brand-New Term’: Kids, School and Her Opinions on Education

Kerry also gave an update on her family life, sharing that her daughter DJ has returned to school and is now in Year Six, something that Kerry says she can “hardly believe.” While DJ is excited for the new school year, Kerry expressed her usual frustrations about the education system, suggesting that subjects like geography feel outdated in a world dominated by instant information through Google and AI. She argued that schools should focus more on life skills such as taxes, mortgages and financial literacy.

Although DJ is the only one still in school, Kerry noted that Heidi and Max are both in college—yet she still finds herself doing school runs for all of them. Heidi has chosen to stay home rather than move out, which means Kerry still has three children living under her roof “for now” (Source: OK! Magazine).

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Encouraging Molly-Mae: ‘Go For It, Girl’

Kerry also weighed in on Molly-Mae Hague’s decision to start saying “yes” to more opportunities following her public split from boxer Tommy Fury. Molly-Mae recently took a spontaneous trip to France, and Kerry wholeheartedly supported the move, insisting it’s exactly what the influencer needs during such an emotionally vulnerable time.

She also defended Molly-Mae against the critics:
“I don’t want to hear from any mum-shamers… It’s so hard raising kids, especially when you’re going through a split like she is.”
(Source: OK! Magazine; ITV’s Love Island archives)

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Sending Love to Megan McKenna: ‘A Big Move, But She’ll Be OK’

Kerry also sent heartfelt support to Megan McKenna, who is relocating to Germany for fiancé Oliver Burke’s football career and will give birth there. Kerry reflected on her own experience of moving abroad—specifically when she relocated to Ireland with her first husband. She admitted it was lonely at times, particularly because he travelled often and she was left managing the children, but she ultimately grew to love the country and now considers Ireland her “second home” (Source: OK! Magazine).

Her advice to Megan was practical and empathetic:

• Find a hobby

• Stay busy

• Encourage loved ones to visit regularly

This, she said, helped her feel less isolated during her own move years ago.