Kerry Katona's loft her marbles

Paranoid star's started hiding away in the attic

DISTRAUGHT: Kerry breaks down in street after visit to her bank

By Dan Wootton, Tom Latchem and Lottie Lumsden, 13/09/2009

TROUBLED Kerry Katona has locked herself away in her ATTIC as she battles with money problems and tries to hide from her cocaine scandal.

The axed Iceland ads star is living in a small dirty loft space at the top of her mansion that she calls her "panic room."

And last night a pal told the News of the World: "We're very worried about what she's doing holed up in there."

Bankrupt Kerry, 29, locked herself away after being pictured in tears last Monday folowing a visit to her bank. We can reveal she had been told she can't open a new account or remortgage her £1 million five- bedroom home in Warrington, Cheshire.

"Now she's like a mad woman living in an attic," said our source. "She is paranoid about anyone going in - even her kids. She won't even let the nanny clean up or change the sheets. It's getting filthy in there.

"There are overflowing ashtrays everywhere, empty bags of crisps and empty bottles of Lambrusco, Coca Cola and vodka. It stinks like a pub, it's disgusting.

"When anything awful happened, Kerry used to lock herself in the bedroom she and Mark's shared - but now that has too many bad memories."

ON THE BRINK: Kerry and husband Mark

The bedroom's ensuite was where she was filmed snorting cocaine in a News of the World exposé last month.

Croft, 38, is splitting his time between their home and a nearby flat after a series of rows with Kerry.

LOCKED IN: Kerry eats and sleeps in her tiny panic room at mansion

As their marriage teeters on the brink of collapse, the former cab driver stays in their bed when he is at the house - but Kerry sleeps in her new den.

"She wants to keep away from Mark as much as possible, says our source. "There's just a bed and a bedside table in there.

"She's been heard pacing up and down talking to herself. She calls the place her panic room."

The former Atomic Kitten is also seeing less of her children - Molly, eight, Lilly-Sue, six, Heidi, two, and Max, one.

Our source added: "Kerry doesn't want her kids to see her in this state. They want to go and see their mum, but she's banned them from the room."

Meanwhile Kerry's money troubles also continue to grow. A friend explained that she was spotted looking distraught in Wimslow Village, Cheshire on Monday because she had just been told she couldn't open her own bank account.

"She'd been to Alliance and Leicester and they gave her the news," she said. "It's a real blow because this is her finally trying to take some control of her finances.

"She also thought remortgaging her house would solve her problems but the bank told her it couldn't happen because of her bankruptcy."

Your comments

This article has 67 comments

I feel a lot of the people who slag kerry off have seroius issues themselves

By alex.. Posted September 18 2009 at 5:26 AM.

Would suggest message posters (RE:KK) educate themselves concerning her diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. Also, when a 'so called' respectable, up-standing person admits to using Cocaine to self-medicate their BD, thats OK. Why is this understanding not extended to Kerry? Answer - bigotry.

By Les.. Posted September 17 2009 at 1:14 AM.

where is dad of the girls? take them away from her, she is a mess!

By Justy.. Posted September 16 2009 at 4:12 PM.

what a selfish girl what about the kids ;;;

By julie w .. Posted September 15 2009 at 10:36 AM.

I can not believe the things I am reading here .It is obvious the girl is ill and needs professional help.
So say a prayer for her and get over your bitterness.It is not only the media that take pleasure in kicking somebody when she is down

By Mary.. Posted September 15 2009 at 12:37 AM.

She really needs a friend, not one that will sell yet another story, but 1 that will give her some support. Get rid of Mark Croft. what an absolute loser he is!!! Her mother is a waste of space having sold stories before it wont be long before we see another from her i'm sure. Social services can offer her real constructive help and i think they had better get in there quick for the sake of all 4 kids. I can see another headline looming and its not a nice one.

By donna.. Posted September 14 2009 at 3:35 PM.

Not interested in her problems as they are totally self inflicted. There are thousands of nice, decent people 'out there' who are bankrupt because of the economy. Honest people who have worked hard all their lives. These are the people who deserve sympathy! NOT Katona, who wants a free ride or easy money in order to powder her nose

By Judy R.. Posted September 14 2009 at 10:52 AM.

If she's got no money, how come she can still afford to run cars, to go on all these holidays, to pay for various accountants and forensic accountants, to open bank accounts (with what money?), to pay for solicitors, to pay for spokespeople, to pay for nannies, to have expensive hair cuts, to pay the mortgage, to pay for the pet food for her new puppy etc etc...?

She seems to be above the law and making a mockery of bankruptcy. I fear for the safety of those children and the new puppy. Social services and the RSPCA should be in attendance. Why aren't they, because Katona gets preferential treatment, is that it?

By Helen E... Posted September 14 2009 at 10:00 AM.

I have worked with people who suffered from various mental health problems, and their and our first concern was for the children.
Social services should pull their finger out and attend to this family.
As someone said in previous comment, if she were Tina Towerblock,her kids would be in care by now.

I have absolutely no sympathy for this self centred, creature.

By patsy mcadam.. Posted September 14 2009 at 12:39 AM.

Why the hell is Mark still there? To drive her crazy? Still trying to suck up and buying her puppies? He's the real problem here.

By katee.. Posted September 13 2009 at 9:06 PM.

hmmmm i hear real job bells ringing.

I hate people who dont put there kids first, what about them in all of this.

Whos helping them ??

If that where one of us normal people we would have had the social services swooping in, noooo for z listers with no money its a diff kettle of fish.

By steph.. Posted September 13 2009 at 8:28 PM.

I guess everyone is just gonna stand by and do nothing , is anyone gonna help her ???

By Michelle Hadath .. Posted September 13 2009 at 7:22 PM.

For god's sake, someone get to her before it is too late. She is a young person out of control, but she is the mum of four children she loves and who love her. Whatever bad decisions she's made, she needs help.

By Kiserian.. Posted September 13 2009 at 6:58 PM.

Maybe just maybe all those holidays she went on might have contributed to her finances being in the state they are. Do I have sympathy , no dam way do I , ive not been on a holiday for 4 yrs because guess what I CANT AFFORD IT SO I DON'T GO. Maybe she should go to Iceland and see if there are any shelf stacking jobs going like my wife had to when she was laid of from being a teacher because of cutbacks.

By Mark.. Posted September 13 2009 at 3:49 PM.

what a lazy, vile, sickening, irresponsible piece of filth she is. Opportunity laid on a plate for years but has resorted to deplorable, bone-idle, selfish, ego-fuelled delusion. Be great to see her lose the lot and hear who she blames it all on.

By Taff.. Posted September 13 2009 at 3:13 PM.

poor kerry she got to s0rt her life 0ut n0w bef0re it to late for the kids

By mary kiernan.. Posted September 13 2009 at 2:45 PM.

Yet again all these 'pals', running to the News of the Wordl with tales instead of getting her help.

I pity her, the scum she is surrounded by.

By Trish.. Posted September 13 2009 at 2:36 PM.

if she's got no money, why hasn't any one said that she's entitled to benefits.

By carolyn.. Posted September 13 2009 at 1:54 PM.

if she's got no money, why hasn't any one said that she's entitled to benefits.

By carolyn.. Posted September 13 2009 at 1:51 PM.

kerry is crashin,someone needs to intervene,and soon,she may be findin it tough,i feel for her,wre are her friends now,probably hangin of someone elses expenses

By tray.. Posted September 13 2009 at 1:02 PM.

I am SICK and TIRED of Kerry Katona.

By sharon.. Posted September 13 2009 at 12:57 PM.

That's right Carole, separating siblings is a top notch idea....

At the end of the day, how does anyone even know that this story is true?

By Lolly.. Posted September 13 2009 at 12:53 PM.

Kerry Katonas problem is simple to analyse and even simpler to fix!
First off several years ago she had some minor success with a manufactured and short lived girl "band" though I doubt she (or any of them) would know the difference between a treble cleff and a treble vodka, Kerry katona first off is lazy otherwise she would do something about her situation which brings me to::: She actually believes she's special and therefore can get along without working, ie public companies will continue to pay her for doing very little, she also apparently believes or believed, that the small success (astonishing luck)she has enjoyed in the past will cushion her forever.

She needs to first of all get rid of the loser Croft or insist that for every pound she brings to the table, he matches it, she can rent out her house for a minimum1500-2000 per month and move to a rented three bed terrace for 6-700 per month saving 1300 instantly, Finally she could get a job like everyone else and eventually be free of debt, do I have any sympathy whatsoever, not a shred.

Finally the tabloid press must take it's fair share of the blame for irresponsible and vacuous reportage of her and her family situation, lets take her mother, three months ago we we're being told that she suffered from acute agrophoia and was unable to leave home, yet she was caught cheating on her benefits (ther'es a pointer) she has now been seen (regularly at Kerrys house, agrophobia, yeah right!

By Alan Wanless.. Posted September 13 2009 at 12:46 PM.

Please Kerry, stay up there, and never come down! Thanks.

By Andy Jones.. Posted September 13 2009 at 12:33 PM.

Couldn't care less. She is so selfish and self obsessed it's laughable. She simply takes no responsibility for anything that happens. If her money was running out, don't go buying expensive cars. If your boyfriend is a piece of scum, don't stay with him. If your work is drying up, behave better and get some more. This awful gutter woman has bragged for years about her perfect life on TV and in magazines, poking her tongue out at the public at every opportunity showing contempt for all of us. Well Kerry, we feel that for you now, so the sooner you disappear into your self-made haze of delinquency, the better.

By Helen E... Posted September 13 2009 at 12:16 PM.

what is wrong with kerry get rid of that rat mark he has made her like this.i think the kids should be taken away till she gets help and back on her feet.she use to be so nice and pretty and looked nice but now she is a mess.mark only stays for the money and flash cars he does not care about poor kerry.kick the dirty rat out of your home for good.

By sky.. Posted September 13 2009 at 12:11 PM.

If she's locked in the attic and he's vegetating in bed, who the hell is looking after the kids?
Personally I feel that Brian is sitting on the fence.
The sad truth is that neither of them want the kids really, if Brian does claim his little girls where does it leave the other 2 children? Either way Social Services need to become involved and if that does happen it could well be that all the children could end up in care and in fact end up in different foster homes.

By Lorna.. Posted September 13 2009 at 12:02 PM.

why isnt anybody helping her??? people seem to love being involved in this circus when somebody needs to take charge and help her before she seriously damages herself and the children its clear shes unstable

By tina.. Posted September 13 2009 at 11:59 AM.

She's made her bed let her lie in it. Let's all sympathise with druggies it's their choice no-one made them take drugs. oh yeah £1 million house and has money troubles, i agree sell the house and downsize and start living in the real world like any other person, er what exactly is she famous for? oh yeah snorting coke. Poor children, feel sorry for them.

By baglady.. Posted September 13 2009 at 11:54 AM.

Why on earth are her childred still living in that house - Social Services DO YOUR JOB or are you going to tell us "they slipped through the net".
If she has no money how is she paying for a nanny, vodka, cigs, crisps ......

By julie.. Posted September 13 2009 at 11:41 AM.

Just where is Brian McFadden at the moment? The last I read he was for coming over here, but haven't seen a word written about this lately.

By Suzey.. Posted September 13 2009 at 10:22 AM.

I'm guessing she's got a few kilo's of Coke up there with her too...

By Chris Froughton.. Posted September 13 2009 at 10:14 AM.

WHY DOESENT ANYONE HELP HER!!??

By Ida.. Posted September 13 2009 at 10:04 AM.

WHERE ARE SOCIAL SERVICES???
her poor kids (all 4 of them) are having to endure living in this pantomine with a clearly unstable mother.
Why dont they let Brian and his mum take custody (even temporarily) of his two girls as he offered and find somewhere safe and secure for the other two little mites.
I bet if she was Tina Towerblock they would have been taken away ages ago........

By Carole.. Posted September 13 2009 at 10:03 AM.

poor kerry whats that all about there was no bigger fan than myself but i think she as had more than enough chances good luck kerry

By trevor.. Posted September 13 2009 at 10:01 AM.

poor kerry whats that all about there was no bigger fan than myself but i think she as had more than enough chances good luck kerry

By trevor.. Posted September 13 2009 at 9:53 AM.

This woman has got to get a grip,weve all had problems and we have all got problems,
her first step needs to be being a mum to her kids,second step divorce Him,

id sell the house clear some debts buy somewhere smaller and start again especially if her kids mean so much to her,

ive got 2 kids and ive had 3 breakdowns the last one being only 12 months ago, but we downsized and moved and straight away i felt much better for doing that,.
i still have good days and bad days but my kids always came first and always will.

By DIRTYBIRD.. Posted September 13 2009 at 9:43 AM.

It's hard for people who have never suffered from depression to understand what it feels like. It's easy to say just snap out of it, or that she doesn't help herself, but most of the time people like Kerry don't know HOW to.

If any of you knew anything about children in these situations, you would know how devastating it would be for them to be ripped away from their mother - it would leave them with emotional scars that would never heal, possibly perpetuating the situation into a new generation. For that reason, Kerry needs professional HELP, and every avenue should be explored before anyone talks about removing the kids from the home. They are not in immediate danger and have people around to shield them from Kerry's more self-destructive behaviour. Rich people the country over have entrusted the care of their children to nannies for centuries, it's nothing new.

And one final point, don't you think that all this hate directed towards Kerry contributes to the bad situation she and her children are in? Would you be happy and as self-satisfied if she committed suicide? She's another human being for God's sake. Have some compassion and be glad that you've either never faced the same challenges or have had the strength to roll with the punches.

By Lolly.. Posted September 13 2009 at 9:37 AM.

Another example of how the press build someone up to believe they have talent and influence and then take great glee and delight destroying them...setting them up, stalking and reporting anything.

But its a consumers world shame on everyone who reads and supports this.

By neil .. Posted September 13 2009 at 9:31 AM.

well if she is up there all the time she wont be doing drugs, unless a kind friend is giving them to her.
So what about her needing to look after her children?
I think this is just another 'story' to keep her in the news and with friends like this she certainly doesn't need any enemies

By Beth.. Posted September 13 2009 at 9:25 AM.

Why the hell hav'nt those kids been removed from such a bad influence?!,surely it can't be healthy for them to know mummy is living in the attic & does'nt want to see them.i have no sympathy for kerry,she has lied & denied so many times. Where is their father?! too busy going on chat shows saying he's going to get custody & not actually wanting to give up his life oz,so he does nothing,poor kids!

By leanne.. Posted September 13 2009 at 9:12 AM.

Its a sad state of affairs. As someone else said she needs a financial advisor, in order to convert some of her assets to pure hard cash. She then needs to through out her leach of a husband, sell her house, and sell all the stuff she brough him, and buy a new house and start again somewhere else.

I dont know how bad the drug problem is, but she is in a very dangerous place right now, unless she takes control of the situation as per the above.

I am also worried about her mental health in terms of suicide, even if she is on anti depressants.

By ben.. Posted September 13 2009 at 9:02 AM.

Hiding in the Attic with her Coke?

No sympathy - she's had loads of chances to sort this out

By Frank.. Posted September 13 2009 at 8:57 AM.

Get a life - get a job - move on..... EASY!!!!!!!

By bob.. Posted September 13 2009 at 8:51 AM.

Sell the house of Kerry, down size, like any norman person would with financial difficulties.

Sorry forgot, your bankrupt, any spare cash would have to pay the bills off, we would'nt want you to look as though youve lost every thing now would we.

Maybe you would but Marks still pulling the strings I guess, get rid Kerry.

By Andy.. Posted September 13 2009 at 8:42 AM.

Well if I could earn 15k or so every week for a phone interview to the sunday paper I would probably invent any old rubbish, next week I expect it will be Catona living in her car LOL

By SAH.. Posted September 13 2009 at 8:37 AM.

Easy stop buying cars for your muppet of a husband & stop having so many bloody holidays & start paying off your debts.

By Trisha.. Posted September 13 2009 at 8:06 AM.

No sympathy now!

By Lyn.. Posted September 13 2009 at 8:03 AM.

How damaged will her children be, after the whole saga. Life is as tough as you want to make it, some make their life a lot tougher. Thats kerry's job!

By lisa.. Posted September 13 2009 at 7:41 AM.

Nevermind Kerry the druggie or Mark the user, let's all be bothered about FOUR helpless children.

Even daddy Brian don't give too hoots for his girls. If he did he would be in there helping this situation. How people can bring children into the world and treat them so bad is beyond me. Don't they deserve better?

Daniella Westbrooke has shown us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel if you want it. We all love the change she has made to her life so what is stopping Kerry? The drugs need to STOP!!!

Why Social Services are not moving in here I have no idea. This situation is going to get a whole lot worse and these FOUR children need to be protected NOW!!!

By Jeanette.. Posted September 13 2009 at 7:32 AM.

Go and get yourself a financial advisor - go on your own and dont tell any of your "family or friends" you have money you just need to reorganise your finances and scale down. You will be much happier without the debt and when you can mannage what youve got also if you get rid of the celeb lifestyle you will find out who is a true friend and who is not.

By sarah Burke.. Posted September 13 2009 at 7:29 AM.

Maybe Kerry should move in with Jordan to Michael Jacksons house, at least we should only have one article to read, its all thats in the news these days. Seriously if things are as bad as its reported the kids need to be out of there. The bank needs to reposess the house and cars, sell the lot, give her the change and let her start again.

By Sue.. Posted September 13 2009 at 7:17 AM.

Sell the house, sell the cars, sell the watch. Buy a small flat, get a run-around.... and things might start to fall into place...

By CW.. Posted September 13 2009 at 6:23 AM.

Brain get your ass over to kerry and YOUR kids and help her i think all of these problems stem from a broken heart Delta would think a lot more of you if you acted like a real man you dont have to like the person she has become or get involved romanticly but be a friend!! those kids need there mother around and i wouldn't be suprised if she did herself in......

By vicky2905.. Posted September 13 2009 at 4:47 AM.

Another week another Katona show. . . .
Wat is it this time around?
Cant bloody open a bank account? HAHA
Sometimes the non celebs can be powerful than celebs
I got a 5grand loan a few days and i aint no celeb
Now Kerry, beat that or do you some of it?!lol
Was she ever a celeb in the first place
Overrated and clueless. .
Someone please get the kids and save them!

By Dwayne.. Posted September 13 2009 at 4:22 AM.

its seems like er bi polar disorder is hittin an all time low i know hoe an all time low feel n im on my with 3 kids not nice she needs help fast i never got it from a mental hospital even cops said i needed it n they were disgusted with how i were treated somebody pleas help her n quick she really does need it :(

By vikki .. Posted September 13 2009 at 2:56 AM.

All say ahhhhh!

By Mark.. Posted September 13 2009 at 3:34 AM.

Read the article. She's not allowed to sell her house.

By Sally.. Posted September 13 2009 at 3:48 AM.

bankrupt 1million pound house a normal person would loss it straight away sell it get a normal house pay your bills and get a job STOP feeling sorry for youself

By arsenalfan.. Posted September 13 2009 at 1:55 AM.

god give her a sighn,....amen

By melanie.. Posted September 13 2009 at 1:11 AM.

if she wasnt a 'celeb' social workers would surely be in there by now investigating what goes on around those kids. Another case of one rule for normal folk and one rule for the famous. Couldnt care less what happens to Kerry Katona and her useless husband but someone has to help those kids.

By jacqui.. Posted September 13 2009 at 12:06 AM.

stupid biatch

By freddy davis.. Posted September 12 2009 at 11:55 PM.

Poor Kerry, it seems like she has no-one who genuinely cares for her. Everybody's sold her out, even her Mum and her husband.

I really hope she can get through this and come out stronger on the other side.

By Sally.. Posted September 12 2009 at 11:32 PM.

Would be nice if one of her friends could help this woman out. Jordan has plenty of money...would be a nice unselfish gesture.They used to be friends once upon a time. After all kerry has 4 kids who will be out on the street if she loses the house. She also needs to get herself into rehab. Family need to do an intervention Asap.

By ted.. Posted September 12 2009 at 11:13 PM.

i feel so sorry for kerry she needs help badly or at least gods help and not that idiot mark she'll be in my prayers

By kelsey.. Posted September 12 2009 at 11:06 PM.

Welcome back to the Kerry Katona show, this weeks episode shows Kerry has gone up in the world (THE ATTIC) for the last few weeks i have said get those little children out of the house. This is serious their mother is in meltdown Brian mcfadden is quite selfish on the late late show last week he said he has to work the other side of the world because nobody would employ him here or ireland, i know if it was
my husband he would starve and be pennyless to protect his children and be near them. I am no longer a fan of Kerry never really was to be honest, at this stage who can she trust. All of these close friends husband half sisters are making plenty of money out of her, a part of me feels very sorry her

By Trudy.. Posted September 12 2009 at 10:55 PM.

Not crazy in love, just plain crazy! Poor kids.

By Bev.. Posted September 12 2009 at 9:49 PM.

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