What Is Kerry Katona's Net Worth?
Kerry Katona is an English singer and media personality who has a net worth of $2 million. Kerry Katona earned her net worth mostly through her television work in light entertainment and reality shows. She has also worked as a ghostwriter and actress on a few commercials. Kerry left home at age sixteen to become a lap dancer but ended up becoming a singer in the pop group Atomic Kitten in 1999. The all-female trio racked up several short-lived hits together with their rocky career that was much like Kerry's private life. Katona left the Kitten's lineup at some point in 2001 due to pregnancy. The father of her child was Brian McFadden (a member of the all-male band Westlife). Kerry and Brian married in 2002, but they split in 2004. Katona has enjoyed a fruitful TV career, initially appearing on and presenting a mix of light entertainment programs such as "Britain's Sexiest…," "Loose Women," and "ElimiDate." What made her a true TV diva was winning the third series of "I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!" in 2004. She was a runner-up on "Celebrity Big Brother" in 2011.
Bankruptcies
Kerry Katona was declared bankrupt in 2008 after she failed to pay 82,000 pounds of a 417,000-pound tax bill. The financial woes reportedly caused her to lose her 1+ million pound home in England. She reportedly declared bankruptcy twice more, once in 2013 and again in 2018. Speaking on the situation years later, Kerry explained:
"I found out I was going bankrupt the day I actually went bankrupt. This tax bill was for £82,000 which was nothing to me at that time…. The money had all gone. I was completely ripped off and conned, I trusted the wrong people… I was doing drugs, I wasn't in the right frame of mind, I entrusted them with my money so it is my responsibility as well."
OnlyFans Earnings
In mid-2021, Kerry joined OnlyFans. She reportedly earned over $1 million from the platform in her first year and purchased a Lamborghini and a home and put her kids back into private schools using her OnlyFans earnings.
(Photo by Antony Thompson for The Hygrove via Getty Images)
Early Life
Kerry Katona was born on September 6, 1980, in Warrington, Cheshire, England. Her maternal grandfather was originally from Hungary and then fled Budapest to move to London during World War II. She was placed in foster care as a child and then raised by four sets of foster parents as she grew up. Throughout her childhood, Kerry attended eight different schools. At the age of 16, she left school to become a lap dancer and then joined a dance troupe that toured through Europe.
Career
In 1999, Katona became a member of Atomic Kitten at the age of 18. The group was an all-female pop trio created by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark frontman Andy McCluskey. The group's debut single, "Right Now," was released in November of 1999 and reached the tenth spot on the UK Singles Chart. Their second single, "See Ya," was released in March 2000 and reached the sixth spot on the charts. They then embarked on a tour throughout Asia and also released the single "Cradle," which reached the top spot on the charts.
Their debut album, "Right Now," was released in March 2000 in Japan and then in October of that year in the UK. The album was not very successful upon its initial release. The group's record label even considered dropping the group but allowed them to release a final single, "Whole Again." The single ended up climbing to the #1 spot in the UK. However, Katona had left the group a few days before the single's release because she was pregnant.
Katona later moved into television work. She appeared in programs like "Britain's Sexiest…," "Loose Women," and "ElimiDate." In 2001, she appeared on "Lily Savage's Blankety Blank." In 2004, she appeared on the third season of "I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here" and ended up winning the competition. The same year, she appeared as a judge on the RTE talent show "You're a Star," during which she helped select the entry to appear in the "Eurovision Song Contest" on behalf of Ireland. In July of 2005, Katona starred in "My Fair Kerry" on ITV. The same year she also starred in an Irish drama called "Showbands."
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Between 2007 and 2008, Katona starred in three different reality shows on MTV – "Kerry Katona: Crazy in Love," "Kerry Katona: Whole Again," and "Kerry Katona: Where's the Problem?" In late 2009, she tried to become a contestant on "Celebrity Big Brother 2010" but was rejected by the show's executives as she failed the required psychological tests. However, her next reality show, "Kerry Coming Clean," aired in June 2010. She was later a contestant on "Dancing on Ice Series 6" with partner Daniel Whiston, an English ice skater. They were eliminated in week five of the series.
In 2011, she made it onto "Celebrity Big Brother." She was joined on the series by Amy Childs and Tara Reid, among others. Kerry was voted the runner-up in the final episode after Paddy Doherty in September of that year.
In March 2012, another former member of Atomic Kitten announced that the group would be reuniting for a summer tour and stated that they hoped Katona would be joining them for at least one performance. However, the reunion never actually occurred at that time as Kerry ended up getting in a fight with another one of the members. Katona ended up performing for the first time in over 11 years during Birmingham's Gay Pride event in June of 2012. She performed a number of songs from her days with Atomic Kitten. Later that year, the group actually did reunite, with Katona joining.
In 2019, Kerry appeared in the sixth season of the E4 reality series "Celebs Go Dating." In November 2022, she became the permanent co-host of the "Wheel of Misfortune" podcast alongside comedian Alison Spittle.
Personal Life
Katona has five children from three different marriages. In January 2002, she married singer Brian McFadden in Rathfeigh, County Meath, Ireland. They had two daughters together. McFadden filed for divorce from Katona in September 2004, and the divorce was finalized in December 2006. In February 2007, Kerry married taxi driver Mark Croft. They had a daughter in 2007 and a son in 2008. The couple announced they were breaking up in 2009 but later reconciled. However, they divorced in 2011.
In September 2014, Katona married former rugby league player George Kay. They had a daughter together in 2014. In October 2015, Kerry announced they were separating after he had allegedly assaulted her at their home in Crowborough. He was subsequently arrested by police, but the charges were later dropped. Kay died of an overdose in July 2019.
Katona has struggled with mental health issues throughout her life. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2005. She also has dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. She has spent time campaigning to increase awareness of mental health problems.
