Reality TV veteran Kerry Katona has had to endure some stomach-churning challenges in her time, but drinking her own urine? That was a first.
The mum-of-five is appearing in E4’s The Big Celebrity Detox, alongside former Love Island stars Megan Barton-Hanson and Toby Aromolaran, and – drum roll – Princess Olga Romanoff, a cousin of our late Queen Elizabeth II.
As well as quaffing her own wee, viewers will see Kerry experience open grave therapy, where she has to lie for a prolonged period in a hole in the ground, and seed therapy, a type of acupressure where seeds, pulses and legumes are applied to points on the body to release pressure.
Our columnist says she didn’t hesitate to sign up for the show, as she’s a “spiritual” person and had been impressed with the results when she tried “microdosing” (taking tiny, sub-hallucinogenic doses of a psychedelic substance) magic mushrooms in Marbella with her fiancé, Ryan Maloney – who Kerry hopes to marry in Las Vegas – six months ago.
“I cried my eyes out – it was incredibly emotional and I felt a huge weight had been lifted afterwards,” she says of the experience. “So I was up for trying other types of therapies.”
Kerry, who is mum to Molly, 21, Lilly-Sue, 20, Heidi, 16, Max, 14, and eight-year-old Dylan-Jorge (aka DJ), says the main reason for doing the show, which was filmed in Thailand, was to get her body confidence back after gaining 3st in weight.
She also wanted to address traumas from her past, including her years spent living in foster homes as a child, her cocaine addiction, and the death of her ex-husband George Kay due to a drugs overdose in 2019.
Here, the 42-year-old star talks about how her experiences at the retreat in Thailand brought back memories of George, how she bonded with Princess Olga, and why the trip felt like pressing a “reset” button…
Hi Kerry! Why did you decide to do The Big Celebrity Detox?
For me, this trip was more about body confidence. I had fallen madly in love with myself at one point and I got myself back up on top. Then I got stuck mentally. I wanted to get rid of that mental blockage and learn to love myself and my body again.
What do you think made you lose confidence?
Living back up north. I lived down south for 12 years, and I had my routine. I was doing yoga – I was ripped. I’m struggling with learning to love myself again, growing older and my body changing.
You did nude mirror-gazing therapy, where you had to look at your own reflection while meditating. How was that?
Awful. Even now, I look in the mirror and feel sick. I had surgery two years ago and went straight into work. I should never have done it and it’s f**ked my body up. My legs are like tree trunks – they’re so swollen, so sore.
So it’s about learning to accept your body changing. I’m like a flat pack from IKEA, I’ve been sliced and diced that much. I need instructions!
Why did you find it so difficult?
People think because I do OnlyFans, I’m confident, but it’s all about angles on cameras. I never filter, Photoshop or airbrush. This is not what I want my body to be right now. I will get my body back, I’ve just got to put the work and effort into it. I’ve been so busy, I’ve lost my routine.
What was your routine?
When I was down south, I was up at 5am, meditating, doing yoga and eating healthily. But I’ve been on the road so much and I’m eating shit. I quit smoking three years ago and that’s a factor in my weight gain, too. I need to focus on fitness and health this year. I’ll be that thin, you won’t be able to see me! You’ll be like, “Where’s Kerry gone?”
You had to drink your own urine. What was that like?
I’ve had worse things in my mouth! It’s psychological, but then we had to spray it on ourselves and I was like, “This is the unsexiest golden shower I’ve ever had in my life!” But my piss is alright. My skin felt nice when I put it on my face, but it isn’t the same unless it’s in a sexy way.
How was the seed ceremony, where seeds are placed on acupressure points to promote healing?
I felt like shit. I was throwing up non-stop, but the next day, I was buzzing. I felt amazing.
Why was it initially so challenging?
I’ve never been sick so much in my life. It just went on and on and on. There was snot coming [out]. We just left our dignity at the door, and picked it up on the way back out! After this show comes out, there’s no dignity for me whatsoever. I’m exposed, I’m naked, I’m drinking piss, I’ve got my tits out, I’m throwing up. No glamour in it at all!
You also tried open grave therapy…
I have a massive fear of death, so I thought I’d be scared of that therapy. I have anxiety because my husband died and our Angela [Kerry’s aunt, who passed away in 2021] died. But I lay there and it almost gave me a kick up the arse, saying, “Kerry, what happens if you do die? Who’s going to look after your kids? Where are they going to go?”
What happened afterwards?
I rang my sister straight away, going, “Look, if something happens to me, and I’m not married to Ryan and he can’t have the children for any reason, I need you to have my children.” It gave me that wake-up call, like, “Get your shit together.”
So it didn’t scare me at all in that respect.
What went through your mind as you were lying in a grave?
I was thinking a lot about George. I was thinking about DJ at a time when she started stroking me, and it just felt like it was George doing it, and tears just came down. I had happy thoughts of, “He isn’t gone, because he’s in my heart.”
Even though he scared the shit out of me and he was violent at times, I have conflicted feelings, because I never wanted him to die that way. I didn’t want DJ to never be able to see her daddy again. So that was a really confronting thought to have while lying in a grave.
Which therapy had the most profound effect?
The breathwork got to a lot of us. That’s where Olga cracked and opened up. I squealed like a pig. Chloe [Veitch] was shouting – I thought I was going to have to get a f**king exorcist for Chloe. Understanding how powerful your own breath is and what you can do with that is crazy. If you do it right, it can release things and bring things up from the depths of your soul. It’s so powerful. I’m on a spiritual journey myself and I feel like I’ve got back into it again, because I got lost a little bit. I should be dead.
Why do you feel like that?
I overdosed three times on coke. I’m very lucky to be alive. I’ve had four sets of foster parents, been in three refuges and went to eight different schools. We’ve all got shit, but it’s about what we do with that shit as adults and how it impacts our lives. So I think breathwork is amazing for anybody.
What did the breathwork unlock for you?
It was difficult, because I never wanted to slag my mum off or put her down, but I have a lot of issues because of her. I’m an only child and I ended up in a foster home. I never felt safe as a kid, ever. The breathwork made me feel safe to explore those emotions. It was the realisation that I’ve always had to be my own hero and be protective of myself and my kids. I’m very resilient – the strength I have is amazing.
Will you explore this more outside the show?
Yes. You are aware you’re being filmed and, as much as I cried, I was still holding back. There was still so much I wanted to scream and let out. I’ve actually got the lady’s number to continue doing it. I’m now working on myself again to get me back to where I want to be. I want to fall madly in love with myself again.
There was also a spanking therapy session. Who did you have to spank?
The boxer, Michael “Venom” Page. I adore Michael, but I refused to do it at first. It felt like cheating a little bit! I wasn’t keen on being spanked by another man, because I felt bad for Ryan. I’m a very loyal person in that respect, and I had Ryan in my head. But you know what, I’ve got an arse worth spanking!
Do you think therapy works?
Yeah, I think all my kids should have therapy. Their lives may not have been like my upbringing, but they’ve still got their own shit to deal with. Just having Kerry Katona as a mum is f**king bad enough! They get treated differently because of who I am.
What other therapies would you like to try?
I’m desperate to do ayahuasca [a plant-based psychedelic]. I’ve also been in touch with a doctor in Bristol who does therapy with MDMA for PTSD.
How did you get on with Princess Olga?
I absolutely love her. I actually went and saw her at her house after the show. We became very close and I know she truly adored me. The oldies love me – I’m a really affectionate person, very touchy-feely, and I make everybody feel welcome.
Did you get any royal goss?
No, but I sat and held her hand while she cried. She was quite hard when she turned up, then she softened and let it all out. It was beautiful to be a part of it.
- The Big Celebrity Detox is coming soon to E4
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