'I'm the one who provides for our children!' Atomic Kitten’s Kerry Katona claimed. Photo / Getty Images
'I'm the one who provides for our children!' Atomic Kitten’s Kerry Katona claimed. Photo / Getty Images
Atomic Kitten’s Kerry Katona has called her ex-husband Brian McFadden a “s**t dad”, alleging that the father of her children hasn’t paid any child maintenance in an explosive interview.
The former popstar, 42, claimed that “she’s the one” who has always supported their daughters after the Westlife alum allegedly made the decision to sign away the right to pay them maintenance when the pair split in 2006.
Chatting to entrepreneur Ellie McKay on her On A Mission Podcast, Katona was firm as she claimed that she “didn’t want” any of McFadden’s money, going on to say that his estrangement has reportedly “really bothered” their daughters Molly, 21, and Lilly, 20.
When discussing her children, Katona claimed: ”I’m the one who provides for them [referring to hers and Brian’s children], I didn’t get maintenance money off Brian.
“I signed a piece of paper saying, ‘You can keep your money, give me the kids’”.
When host McKay asked her why, Katona explained: ”I didn’t want his f*****g money, I wanted my kids. He didn’t want to get divorced in England because we got married in Ireland.
Singers Brian and Kerry McFadden attend the British Grand Prix qualifying rounds on July 10, 2004, in Silverstone, England. Photo / Getty Images
“We had to legally be separated, like for six years, before we could get divorced.
“I didn’t want that, if Brian doesn’t love me I want a divorce, so I wanted to get divorced in England, because I was an English citizen.
“There was a ‘Ray Parlour situation’ in football where the wife is entitled to half of his money for the rest of his life. So Brian was sh***ing himself.
“I said look if you don’t want me, you don’t love me, I don’t want your money, just give me half the money from the house that we sell, and I will sign a piece of paper, just give me my kids. I signed the piece of paper, I got the kids, and he f****d off to Australia.”
McKay asked: “But as a dad surely he has got a duty of care?” Katona replied: “He was a s**t dad, he was a s**t dad.
“I think that really bothers the two girls especially now because he is a great dad with Ruby.”
Chatting to MailOnline in 2022, Katona alleged that McFadden had not been a good dad to their two children.
The Whole Again singer then shed light on the difference the 19-year age gap has made between McFadden’s children, saying: “I think it hurts Molly and Lilly that he’s a better dad this time around but they’ve accepted it.”
In the past, McFadden has confessed to having more time to be a hands-on father now, adding that he “missed so much” of Molly and Lilly’s growing up.
Katona was snapped with McFadden last September for the first time since they filed for divorce. She admitted to wishing that she and her ex had found a way to work together as a family sooner.
'I'm A Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here' winner and queen of the jungle Kerry McFadden returns home to Dublin to be greeted by husband Brian and daughters Molly (2) and Lilly (1) on February 15, 2004 in Dublin, Ireland. Photo / Getty Images
She said: “We’ve missed out on a lot we could have done together as a blended family.
“He’s not a bad man, he’s just not the greatest of dads. But he’s a great dad to Ruby.”
It comes after Katona revealed that she “doesn’t blame” McFadden for leaving her, adding that “you can’t force somebody to love you.”
The pair met in 1999 and tied the knot three years later.
However, their union was seemingly doomed from the start, with McFadden admitting he cheated on his future-wife on the night of his stag-do with a lap dancer.
